The Washington herald., 1920-04-18
Democratic Chieftain Wants
Congress to Submit a
Peace Resolution to Both
Party Conventions for
Endorsement.
~ WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.


The failure Of the Senate to rat
lfy the. treaty and make the United
States q member Of the league OF
nations raises a number Of very i'm
portant issues-issues much more
important than. the determining OF
party responsibilities for the defeat
While an effort will be made by
party leaders on each side to throw
the blame for the defeat upon the
opposite party, these efforts cannot
divert attention from the far-reach-
ing questions presented for discuss
sion-questions Of such q vital char
acter and of such absorbing inter-
est that the voters will resent any
attempt to make the decision de-
pend upon party considerations.
Party considerations, while decisive
In ordinary times and on ordinary
subjects, not only lose their force
in the presence OF national crises
but are precluded. by the very ma
ture Of the contest. No one can
stoop to partisan arguments when
the nation Is In peril and the well
fare OF the world at stake.
TnA QeIGAL OIL LhO
luton threatens q postponement OF
the serious consideration OF press
ing domestic problems. There are
many readjustments made necessary
by the war and questions matured
In the heat of the CONFLICT are now
ripe for action. Those who are es-
pecialIy interested in these oues-
tions will protest with Increasing
earnestness against the ignoring OF
domestic subjects of special inter-
ests to large classes and OF gen.
eral interest to the whole public.
Living Cost Real Issue.
For instance, tho extortions OF
the nrofteers are being better ana
better understood and the impud-
ence Of those who, for their own
selfish ends, attempt to throttle
legislation and to obstruct remedial
measures arouses increasing indig-
nation. The breadwinner confronts
a drain upon his family income
which he can not ignore, or even
consider with patience, and now
that woman. the financial manager
of the family. Is to be given the
ballot, we may expect a very crit
icaI and comprehensive examina-
ton into the subject. The pronteers
may be willing to turn attention
from themselves to the phraseology
Of reservations but their victims
much more numerous than the
beneficIaries, will not be willing
to change the subject. The at
tempt to make a party issue OF
the treaty reservations will there
fore be irritating rather than sue
cessful.
II will be dificult to persuade
the laboring man that his interests
should be made subordinate to an
academic discussion. indefinitely
prolonged, as to the language in
which to frame a contingent propo-
sition-a proposition that becomes
important only on the happening
of that which may never happen.
1t must be remembered that the
reservations deal almost entirely
with things that are speculative
and improbable rather than certain
or even probable. The laoorins
man, increasingly conscious OF tine
dignity of his toll and OF the I'M
portance of the part he plays IN
our Industrial and political system
is not in a humor to view win
complacency the effort to shunt MIN
to one side. He did his part In
the war and will claim his place
in the nations plans and his share
in the shaping of the countrys
destiny.
The beneficiaries OF private mo-
nopoly are banding themselves to-
gether for a concerted attack upon
the peoples right to administer
through their own agents and' for
their own benefit. the so-called nat
ural monopolies-the enterprises In
which competition. by the very ma
ture of the case. is impossible.
These men may be willing. even
anxious, to keep the people engaged