Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1920-01-30
FRIDAY. JANUARY 80. 1920.


lie League or Nations, on aC-
count Of the action and MONACO
ton of the United States Senate
for many months, has had the
close attention of the civilized
world. The cause of the delay
can be attributed to the fact that
there is no we'll defined issue be
tween the Republican and Demo
cratic parties. The issues which
divided the people into two par
ties have ceased to exist.
AT first. the contest washe.
geen the Republican (now the
D mocratic pary) and the Fed
alists. The Republicans WHO
were opposed to a strong central
government prevailed and the
name was abandoned for that of
the Democracy. The Wing party
opposed the Democratic party
W til varying success, the issue
being the tariff. The anti-Ma-
,nlc party, while successful for
a while i'll the great state Of
P nnsvlvania and some other
sections, was so diSastrously de-
feated in a national contest, that
it soon sank into obscurity, and
Comparatively few people know
that there ever was such a party.
Next the Know Nothings' be-
came, for short time, a threat
eping opponent Of the Demo-
Gratis, but the defeat administer
ed by Henry A. Wise i'll Viz
ginia proved such a severe blow
that it never rallied.
Next appeared the A BOLTON
its, Free SoiIer, Anti-LeComp-
ton Democrats and other ele-
mcnts of the opposition which
w:re coalesced into the Republi.
can party and in 1860, by the
division in the Democrat tic party
which nominated two candida ties
FIR President the Republicans
succeeded in electing A braham
L ncoln, by minority vote.
Ten followed the war which,
cost thousands of lives and mil
lions of money and removed the
Slavery question out of politics.
Since the conclusion of the
WAT, the tariff for a while be-
came an issue, but on account of
the increased expenses of the
government the protective tar
if and the tariff for revenue
only" have become one, and the
issue has ceased to exist. The
d vision line has become one of
graft" and of graft" only.
The effort now to use the
League of Nations as an issue
has caused delay,if not the defeat,
o. that treaty designed to pre-
vent future wars.
What the result will be is still
in doubt.
We repeat that the issue be-
tween the parties is one Of
graft" Prominent politicians
are paving the air, hoping to
find som, question on which the
people will be divided and on
which thev may ride into some
coveted positions.
Among the masses few can be
found who can give a satisfac-
tory reason for being Repuhii- !
can or a Democrat. The party |
affiliations of some is controlled |
by that of their fathers, who |
have long since passed to tue
great beyond. Others vote as
they learned to vote years ago,
and they consider it a disgrace
to desert their party. Still 9TH |
ers are the adherents of some |
politician whose foot steps they |
want to follow. Some join the !
party that promises a lucrative |
Office, and few, unfortunately |
few. have the good of their coun-
try at heart.
Unless some live issue can be
found, there is great danger Of |
the disintegration of the old |
parties.
What will be the fate of the
League of Nations, the future
alone can tell. Let US hope for !
the best.