The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-04-01
TREATY IS NOT MAIN ISSUE
Reaction to Senate's Vote Ex-
act Opposite to That Which
Had Been Predicted.
WILSON NOT CANDIDATE
Democratic Leaders Striving to
Bring Order Out of Chaotic
Situation in Nation.
BY n. NJ. RIckEY.

Washington. March Silt has been
assumed that the final refusal of the
senate to advise and consent" to the
ratification of the peace treaty would
inevitably result in the treaty being
the paramount issue in. the coming
presidential campaign.
1t has also been assumed that the
logic of the situation would make
President Wilson the Democratic cam
didate for third term on a ratifi-
cation-without-r reservation platform.
Nothing better illustrates the con-
fusion of thought on the subject of
the coming presidential campaign than
that what nearly every one who thinks
politically was thinking and saying
a few short weeks ago hardly any one
is thinking or saying now.
The senate has refused definitely
to advise and consent" to the presi-
dents treaty and sent the document
back to the White House.
The treaty probably will not be the
paramount issue in the coming cam
paign and President Wilson probably
viii not be a candidate.
The treaty will not be the para
mount issue. because when the final
LSSI Ciittc III the SENATE the only Dem-
ocratic senators, with two exceptions,
who by their votes acknowledged the
presidents leadership. are from south
of Mason and Dixon's line.
BY joining the Republican reser-
walton senator's, and voting to ratffy
the treaty with reservations, which
the president said he would not ac-
cept, the northern Democratic sena-
tors repudiated the presidents leader
ship.
Strange things happen in politics,
but even in politics impossible things
do not happen.
And in view of what happened in the
senate to the treaty, it does not seem
possible that the Democratic conven-
tion will adopt a platform calling for
the ratification of the treaty without
reservations.
Even liz President wilson's health
would permit of his being a candidate.
which it probably will not, he certainly
would not be a candidate on plat
form which did not unqualifiedly de-
mand treaty ratification without re-
servations.
1t is not clear just what is to be
done, if anything, toward straighten-
ing out the tangle of our relations
with the rest of the world between
now and the conventions of the two
parties.
But whatever is or is not done can
not create a situation which will give
the voters a chance to decide between
the treaty which the president signed
and the treaty with the So o-called
Lodge reservations, for which every
northern senator but two voted.
The first reaction among the leaders
of both parties to the senate action
on the treaty is to bring purely do
mestic questions to the front as the
basis for discussion as to politics and
candidates.
This is exactly the opposite of the
reaction that was expected and pre-
dicted up to a short time ago and
is another illustration of the con-
fused thinking among the political
leaders of both sides.
1t is doubtful whether in the history
of latter-day American politics the
near approach of the national conven-
tions was fraught with so much un-
certainty and indecision in respect
both of platform and candidates as
exists at this time.
The old guard of both parties have
been trying for months to get control
of their respective situation, but
neither of them has yet found for
mula that works.
In each party there are half dozen
or so ayowed candidates for the presi-
dency; and not one of them has
aroused enough popular enthusiasm to
furnish the wadding for a toy pistol.
In spite of the huge sums or money
that are being spent in the contest
for delegates, state after state is
electing uninstructed delegates.
1t seems altogether improbable that
any candidate will have enough in
structed delegates in either convention
to put him within gunshot Of the nom
ination on the first ballot.
This is all TO the good from the
of the great rank and file
of voters who, if they bring enough
pressure to bear, may have chance
TO vote for a man who represents their
views, instead of the views of small
group of professional politicians.