The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-24
The College Referendum.

One comfort about straw votes is that
they can usually be taken more than
| one way. In the casei of the recent
poll of the 700 American colleges on the
peace treaty, some people say the result
| shows strongly that the American peo-
| PIE want ratification, while others place
| the emphasis differently and point out
that the bulk of opinion favors reser-
Vations
OF all the votes cast about one third
were for unreserved ratification of the
| treaty; another third for ratification by
compromise, and the remaining third d.
vided in the proportion of about 2 to
! |, between the Lodge reservations and
total rejection. So If the first two
groups are added together, it is plain
that majority favor ratification; while
II the compromisers are added to the
supporters of Lodge 1t is clear that
majority are for reservations.
The Baltimore Sun Qnd Dem,), itself
IaVoring unreserved ratification, sees
IN the poll a justification of its posi-
ton. Not only is the vote for unre-
served ratification big one, but "it
can not be doubted that a large pro-
portion OF those thousands now voting
TOT compromise, like Mr. Taft and Mr..
Lowell. really prefer unreserved rati-
Ilcauon, but advocate compromise be-
cause they see no other way of securing
ratlflcation,' and the Charleston News
and Courier Dem) thinks 1.-THE vote
tor unamended and unreserved ratifica-
tlon is all the more impressive because
II comes at time when so many who
hold that view have ceased to press
IT because they think that only by COM
promise can the tangle in the senate
be unraveled now The Springfield
republican Qnd) likewise speaks Of the
strong support for straightout ratifi-
cation of the treaty as the president
brought it from Paris as 1.-The most
impressive aspect of the referendum"
The voting differed markedly as be-
tween indtvidISl colleges and as be-
tween different sections of the coun-
try As the Greensboro Daily News
(lnd) puts it,, 'in Democratic sections
the colleges are Democratic and in Re-
publican sections they are Republican;
which is no news. But . I" taken as
a whole, the colleges have not voted
Tor either party. They want peace"
1t is noteworthy that in the East the
sentiment for compromise was strong,
while in the South and West the heav-
lest vote was for the treaty without
reservations.
"A genuine referendum on the most
momentous question of the age" is how
the Boston Post Qnd. DENY describes
the student vote, and the Binghamton
Morning Sun Und. Dem.) points out
that college students make frequent
visits to their homes and home towns,
read their home papers regularly and
NC III lOuGu Will the sentiment OF their
families and neighbors," and that there
fore their opinions are "likely to be an
accurate barometer of popular feel
ing
THESE returns" says the Boston Her
aid Qnd Rep) ARE symptomatic of the
state of public feeling. With it the
senate Is clearly out of touch, and we
may add truthfully that the president,
in his stubborn persistency, is also get
ting more and more out of touch with
American sentiment"
The Roanoke Times CDem) has this
dicative of the sentiment Of the coun-
try generally. The American people are
heartily sick Of the delay. They want
the treaty ratified and peace restored.
And since it is apparent that the senate
majority is not going to yield to the
president, they want the opposing fac
tions, to come together in a compromise
which will effect the desired ratifica-
ton"
The Cleveland Plain Dealer Ind.
Dem.) also speaks of the colleges as
having lent the weight Of their in
promise" The Wichita Beacon (Rep.),
however, points out that "the stipula-
ton as to a compromise is rather a
vague one" and that it must be as
sumed that those who voted for compro-
mise meant to "leave the matter to the
judgment of the majority of the sem
ators'' with the Lodge reservations to
be considered as the basis On this |
understanding the Beacon thinks at is |
about time for President Wilson to come |
down from his high horse" The Pitts
burgh Press Qnd) thinks 1.-The refer
endum is squarely against Mr., Wilson's |
position" and remarks that "the big |
gest majority cast against him was at |
his old university, Princeton"
But although the Christian Science |
Monitor Qn6) says the college stu
dents are a reflex of thought in their |
home circles" and their vote will have |
tits effect on the senate situation"
and the Peoria Transcript Und.) tells us
that eff there is a ruling class in this
it is the college men, If critics
of college students don't agree with