The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-11-02
PRESIDENT WILSON AND
ADVERSE VERDICT
How Would It Affect President
He Has Been Optimistic over
Election Result.

Washington, ID. c., Nov. Aside
from the actual result OF the election,
perhaps nothing has given greater
conceln here thdn the possible effect
upon President Wilson Of an adverse
verdict at the polls. The president
has always had unbounded confidence
in his own judgment of what the
American electorate would do and yet
many OF ms friends think he will be
greatly disappointed this time He
mas had reVerses before as in 1918,
but on nothing that was as close to
his heart as IS the covenant OF the
league OF nations. It has been argued
convlncingly in the press that the
election result will have indicated
concluslvce about the league and will
only have registered the natrual re-
action of people against their war
government, something that has hap
pened throughout EuiHpe, But no.
body in the inner circle of the ad-
minlstration has probably paved the
way for tomorrow's defeat. So far
as is generally known the president
has been continuously optimistic about
the outcome. We're it not for the
frail condition of the president S
hea tn, the election might not be a
moment OF anxiety
Indeed there have been rumors
that Mr.. Wilson might feel constrained
to resign the presidency If Cox were
defeated On the other hand, the
possibility has been held out as a
consolation especially since II might
mean the resuDmission Of the pence
treaty at the December Sc sion Of
Congress In an effort once more to
reach compromise. The new Senate
would not, OF course, take office until
after next March when special ses-
sion would be called, but II is believed
the effect of the democratic victory
in the Senate might mean more
eoncilliatory mood in the session OF
Congress to be convened next month.
Friends of the league of nations
will not wait until a special session
OF Congress is ca led next spring in
order TO pL4h for the ratification of
the treaty with proper reservations.
Every vote taken In the Senate has
shown more than twO-thirds of the
Senate favoring ratification Of the
treaty and league in some form. 1t
would help the next administration
Immensely if the troublesome treaty
we're out of the way when the new
administration came into power so
that domestic affairs might be given
undivided attention. More than a
year has already been spent In
wrangling over the treaty and league
while domestic issues like taxation
have suffered by neglect. The treaty
question may suffer il postponed to a
special session OF Congress,
| 1t is considered possible that Presi-
dent Wilson's attitude toward a com
promise on reservations will have
been greatly softened by the verdict
at the polls and that nonpartisan
or bipartisan movement may yet be
started to bring about among the
various advocates of the league dur
| ing the remaining days of President
WI sons administration. 1t would
hearten the president and give him
strength to bear the strain of his
Illness.
The true condition of the president
| is matter Of conjecture. Few peo-
pie know, though there is the usual
amount of rumor about a relapse
| The best information the writer has
been able to obtain Is that the pres
ident has been steadily improving
and is much better than he was six
months ago Nobody can forsee
what the effect of a disappointment
may be, but men who know Mr.. VII
son best are convinced that his vi
tality is such that he will he able tn
withstand the blow that is sure to
come. The president does not read
newspapers generally, and it is said
that he has not been given any
pessimistic reports about the cam
paign, so that very probably the re
suit will come as a shock to him.