Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1920-01-22
THE COLLEGE
REFERENDUM.
DAVID LAWRENCE, Pre-:

One comfort about straw votes is
that they can usually be taken more
than one way. In the case of the re-
cent noli of the 700 American col
leges on the peace treaty. some peo-
Pie say the result shows strongly
that the American people want rat
iAcation;" while others place the
emphasis diff emily and point out
that the bulk of opinion fayors res
ervations.'
OF all the votes cast, about one
third We're for unreserved ratification
OF the treaty; another third for rati-
fication by compromise and the
remaining third divided, in the pro-
portion of about to /. between the
Lodge reservations and total rejec-
ton. So ii the first two groups are
added together, it IS plain that ma
jority favor Qualifications; while ii
the "compfomisers' are added % the
supporters, OF Lodge, it is clear that
a majority are for reservations"
The Baltimore sun (Ind. DemD. it
self favoring unreserVed rat fication
sees in the poll a justification of its
position. Not only is the vote for
unreserved ratification a big one, but
1T cannot bedoubted that a 'arge pro
portion of those thousands now vot-
Ing for compromise, like Mir. raft
and Mr.. Lowell. really prefer un-
reserved ratification but advocate
compromise because they see Ay 9th
er Way of securing ratification" and
the Charleston News and Courier
(Dem.l thinks the vote for unam-
ended and unreserved ratification is
sll the more impressive because it
comes at time when so many who
holG that view have ceased q ,ess
1t because they think that By
compromise can the tangle in the
Senate be unrayeled now" The
Springfield Republican (Ind.0 like
wise speaks o. the strong support
for straight out ratification of the
tr=aty as the President brou.5 Il
from Paris as the most impressive
aspect o, the referendum
The voting differed markedly as
betwe 4 colleges and as between diff
fee.nt sections of the country. AS
the Greensboro Daily News Qnd.)
puts 1t, in Democratic sections the
colleges are Democratic and in Re-
publican sections they are Rerubli-
can; which IS no news. B tax
en- as a Whole, the colleges have not
voted fcr either arty. They wan
peace 1t is noteworthy hat in the
List the sentiment for compromise
was strong, while in The South and
West the heavies vote was FOR the
treaty without reese. yatiOns.
\ genuine referendum on the
most n Aentous ques ion of tie
age, how the Boston Post end.
Dlm.) describes the student vote
and he Binguamton Morning Sun
tlnd. I II points out that "colleee
S,udeA max frequent visits To-
men 2 m0 and EJr;e towns. reat
-heir home papers rec larlv, ard al
'a touch w h the sediment of Their
amiles and neighbols" and tAat
lerefoTe tnrir opinions are likely
be an -cnrate barometer Of p MI
= feeling.
These returns says sac Rosto
raid end. I,epl are syma.oma,-
o. TIE state Of public feeling. With
the Ne7at is verv c.early ont Of
t1ca. an ffe may tFHtknllv
a the President. iu his stubborn
Tslstenty, Is also getting more and
ore ont us touch with America
ltimenf,' The Roanoke Times
1em.) has TINS to az.
III res = -. IS fairly Indicative
tie sentiment Of the country seu-
ally Tie American people art