Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-05-12
Brvan Takes Issue With Pres
ident on His Treaty Appeal

Washington, May 1O.-President
Wilson'S call to the Democratic par
ty to carry the treaty ratification IS
sued into the campaign drew express
sions today from two members of his
own party. William j. Bryan and
Senator Reed of Missouri, and also
from Senator Johnson OF California,
leader of the Republican irrecon-
cilable group in the senate treaty
battle.
Senator Reed in statement de-
clared that such a platform would
mean for the Democrats the loss OF
every state north of the Mason and
Dixon line and the breaking of the
sssolid" South. Senator Johnston also
in statement said he could respect
the presidents consistent advocacy
of unreserved ratification but had no
respect for men whose views shifted
with the varying popular wind" M
Bryan, at his home in Florida, re-
affirmed his declaration for imme-
diate ratification by joint action OF
Republican and Democratic treaty
friends in order "to take the issue
out of the campaign"
"The presidents demand that the
treaty shall be accepted exactly as
he brought it from Versailles is the
finest scheme of premeditated politl-
cal suicide yet devised" Senator Reed
said. On such platform as the pres
ident demands it is my opinion that
we will lose every state north of the
Mason and Dixon line and that the
Solid South will be broken"
Every member Of the senate ex-
cept six, Mr.. Reed stated, voted for
one or more Of the Lodge reserva-
tions denounced by the president.
The president or democratic senators
who voted for reservations will face
repudiation at San Francisco, he add
ed.
Senator Johnson said he had con-
sistently opposed the "ieague of ma
tions in it's original form and with
the reservations appended" and
added:
"The league presented to us was
either good or bad thing. If it
was as good as the president and his
associates insisted, it required neith-
er amendments nor reservations. II
it was bad, as we insisted, neither
amendment nor reservation could
make it good.
"The president has consistently
maintained his position, and l can't
respect an adversary of that sprt.
Those for whom I have no respect
in this contest are the men who were
with the president when they thought
his position was popular during the
discussion last year, andwho then de-
manded the immediate passage OF
the league with reservations nor
amendments, and who now, with the
varying popular wind, embrace the
so-called league reservations which
they denounced for so long a time" :"
: Jacksonville, Fla, May 10.-Pres-
ident Wilson has been denied infor-
nation Essential to sound judgment
and safe leadership" William Jen-
nings Bryan said here today in a
statement commenting on Mr.. Will
sons call to the Democratic party
to carry the fight for ratification OF
the treaty of Versailles into the pres
idential campaign. The party had
fought for ratification without reser-
vations as long as there was hope OF
:asuch action, he said, and the issue
now was whether the democratic
party believes in the fundamental
principles of democracy-namely,
the right of the majority to rule"
He urged immediate ratification with
such amendments as might be neces-
cary in order to accomplish that pur-
pose norder to take the League of
Nations issue "out of the campaign
and speak peace to war-distracted
Europe"
"Broken down in health by the
weight of cares and anxieties such as
have fallen to no other occupant of
that high office, the chief executive
has been denied the information es-
sential to sound judgment and safe
leadership" stated Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan stated it was impossible