The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-05-23
Editorial
of the Day
MAKING 1T A CLEAR CUT ISSUE
New York World)

New York World
The Indiana republicans deserve
credit for their straightout declara-
tion against the league of nations.
They are willing to make II a clear.
cut issue, and any symptoms of ordi.
nary intellectual honesty In American
politics are doubly to be welcomed.
Gen Leonard Wood may have won
the four delegates.at-large from 1ndi.
ana, but Senator Hiram Johnson won
the platform on which the republicans
of that state declare our absolute
opposition TO the covenant of the
league Of nations as submitted by
the president and fully approve
the action OF the republicans Of the
senate in resisting its adoption
Indiana is the state of Will II.
Hays, chairman of the republican ma.
tional committee. For weeks Mr.. Hays
has been at work with the elder
statesman of the republican party
in framing IA league of nations plank
on which the republican national
convention would be willing to stand.
The Indiana platform may be accept
ed in the main as the Chicago plat
form. The irreconciliables who COM
plain that ii does not go far enough
to satisfy them are plainly masking
their exultation for strategic reasons.
The platform is a complete exposition
Of Mr. Hays 100 per cent American
hcg doctrine that I'VE are more in
terested in the stomachs OF our peo-
pie than in the hearts of the world"
At the outset the Indiana republi-
cans pay perhaps the finest tribute
10 President Wilson that the members
of an opposition party ever paid to
a president in power. They accuse
him Of having insisted on making.
and forced the representatives of the
associated powers to adopt the cove
nant of the league OF nations as an
integral part of the peace treaty"
This is not quite correct; the asso-
ciated powers finally adopted the
covenant Of the league Of nations be.
cause they discovered that the presi-
dent was right when he told them
that otherwise their treaty could not
be executed, but this is mere detail.
In the main their indictment is a
true bill. President Wilson forced
the covenant into the treaty. The
league OF nations is his work, and it
represents the longest step forward
that has ever been taken in interna-
tional relations. If the Indiana re-
publicans are determined that he
shall have the sole credit for the
most enlightened piece Of statesman.
ship since the abolition of human
slavery, well and good
The president can proudly accept
their accusations along with their
blanket Endorsement of all the repub-
Hcan senators who have been engaged
In wrecking the treaty, reservationists
and bitter-enders alike. Ii is well
that the Indiana republicans should
belong together. They may have had
theii differences as to method. but
they have pursued the same object,
which was the mutilation Of the cove
nant and such reputation Of the
moral and legal obligations of the
United States as TO make the league
unworkable.
No political convention can ever be
quite sincere, and so the Indiana re-
publicans, after declaring against the
league OF nations, adopted a resolu-
ton favoring "the judicial settlement.
Of international disputes" and the
establishment Of world court to
administer international justice" The
only world court that is possible to
achieve is that established by the
covenant of the league of nations. and
in their absolute opposition" to the
covenant of the league. the Indiana
republicans have set themselves
against the world court that they
pretend to favor; but be that as it
may, they have helped clarity the
issue. and make 1t the easier to sub
init the treaty of peace to that great
and solemn referendum" which all
republicans derided when II was first
suggested by the president
Whatever the rank and file OF the
republican voters may think, the
republican politicians are becoming
more and more open in their antag-
onism to the league OF nations. This
is not to be regretted IL they will put
the party squarely on record as the
Indiana convention has done. There
is no other way In which any issue
can be decided at the polls, and de-
cided intelligentiy. II Hiram john
sons fight against the league is
forcing the republicans to stop trim
ming and take a definite stand, to
that extent Hiram johnson has per-
formed an eminent public service and