Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-21
Coolidge, Maine and Leaaue.

est. Louis Globe-Democrat)
Although the election in Maine was
Tor state officers little attention has
peen PAID in the campaign to state
issues. Indeed, there seems to have
peen no state issues of any import
ance. The contest was waged upon
national questions. and the decisions.
therefore, is peculiarly national in it's
bearings. That the unprecedented Re-
publican victory indicates strong
Republican trend is admitted by the
, opposition. And while there were
hunper OF important considerations
involved including particularly a gem
eral dissatisfaction with Democratic
administration, there can be no doubt
that the League Of Nations issue had
much to do with the astonishing re-
suit But upon what aspect of the
issue was this decision based?
FIRST. it must be conceded that it
| is convincing expression of oppo-
sltlon to the acceptance of the COW
cnant as it stands. The people of
Maine are plainly against the ratifi-
cation of the treaty of Versailles
without reservations. But doch it
mean that they are opposed to the
league with sufficient safeguards?
/ There is no reason to believe that any
| considerable number of them take
this position. The Republican cam
palgn was not waged against an as
ISOLATION in which our SOVEREIGNTY
and independence of action would be
specifically protected, but against the
, unreserved covenant. The vote, we
think, expressed strong approval of \
the Republican position in this mat
ter, approval of the action of the
Senators in refusing to ratify with
out strong reservations, approval of
the condemnation of the covenant as
1t stands, but at the same time an
approval of the construction pledge
of the platform and the constructive
program of Senator Harding. That
| is to say, it is against the present
! form of the league, but in favor of
its declared purposes and in favor of
an association that will achieve those
purposes without imposing upon us
obligations we are unwilling to as
sumo.
Perhaps no better expression of the
Republican attitude has been given
than that presented in the-speech of
Governor Coolidge at Portland
Maine. last week. and we have no
doubt that it is upon the position
there stated that the decision of the
people of Maine in this matter has
been founded. Governor Coolidge. in
that speech, undertook to explain the
Republican policy in relation to the
league. He began by a tribute to
Maine. and to the great Americans,
such as Blaine and Reed and Dingley,
that Maine had produced. These
men. he said. believed in America
for Americans. But they knew that
the destiny of our country could not
be separated from the destiny of the
world and that America could not be
America unless it bore it's share of
the burdens of civilization, unless it
was forever responsive to the con-
science of mankind" America" he
went on to say. las they knew and
loved her never was and never can be
isolated from the great human inter-
ests of the world" He recounted
many of the acts that prove this. and
continued with these impressive
words:
Ever since this nation was es-
tablished, ever since it adopted as
its emblem the splendor of the |
rising dawn. it has never been |
isolated. All the earth has turn
ed to that vision of hope. Not ;
isolated. but Independent. free.
rendering service to all mankind.
not on compulsion but in response
to the national conscience The
Republican party resents the i'm
putation that it seeks to do any
less than render that service now.
BY its history. by it's platform,
by the solemn assurances Of it's
candidate. 1t completely refutes
that charge"
What then, he asked, as the OBJ
lection to ratifyinr the coyenanf IN