The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1920-06-25
ANOTHER DIVINE RICHTER.

had perished unit! we read the state.
ment of United States Senator Johr
X. Shields, in which he absolutely re.
fused to obey the instructions of the
people who elected him. The senator
in a truly Bourbon way. says, in eff.
feet, that a public officer is master
and not servant of the people. His
reactionary views in this regard have
been so long discredited that we will
waste neither times nor words in con-
sidering them. What we are con-
cerned with is the attempt of the SEN
ator to deny that he had pledged him
self to support the policies Of Presi-
dent Wilson through war activities
and peace negotiations unto the end
which would be when peace treaty
was finally ratified.
Even while asserting his divine
right to ignore instructions from the
people, Senator Shields does offer
this:
| believe that when a candi-
date for office makes promises
or commits himself uponi issues
presented in an election, primary
or general, in which he is chosen,
he should honestly and faithfully
comply with them or retire from
office.
The senator then states directly
and flat -footedly that the league OF
nations was not an issue when he was
nominated for the Senate in August
1918. Well, the fact is that President
Wilson summed up our military poll
cies in the war with Germany and her
allies in an address to Congress, de-
livered on Jan. 8, 1918. In this ad-
dress the president stated plainly
that there could be no victory for ouI
allies and ourselves until IA aims
which he enumerated, had been at
tanned. Upon these IA points" all
of our war policies were based, and
the last of them read as follows:
sa[ General! association
OF nations must be formed under
specific covenants for the pur-
pose of affording mutual guaran-
tees Of political independence and
territorial integrity to great and
Small states.
Here in brief, was a complete out
line of the league of nations and it be-
came one of the war policies of the
nation. In his campaign for the Sen
ate some months later Senator
Shields accepted these al points"
without question. He even went fur
ther in his declaration of loyalty to
Wilson's military policies, for, in a
paid political advertisement over his
own signature, on July 28th, 1918, he
said:
| have supported and voted for
every law which the president
has advised and the Congress
has enacted as necessary or de-
sirable for the vigorous and sue
cessful prosecution of the war,
and in every way have given the
president my cordial, whole
hearted and consistent support
in his military policies, and shall
continue to do so as long as re-
main in the Senate.
In all fairness, we submit, could
there be a more definite or specific
pledge to support the war aims of the
president. one of which provided for
an Association of nations" which
would afford mutual guarantees of
political independence and territorial
integrity to great and small states ?"
But the senator also made another
promise to the people on the eve of
the election, August |, 1918. Then he
said:
| have been in full accord with
President Wilson and his war
policies. | favored and voted for
the resolutions declaring war
against Germany and Austria
Hungary, and every law advised
and advocated by the president
as necessary for the successful
prosecution Of the war, am OPP
posed to any compromise or
peace until Germany or her allies
are crushed and their military
power forever destroyed. | will
not support any peace treaty the
terms of which do not make it i'm
possible for Germany and Aus
tria Hungary to ever again men,
ace democratic institutions and
the peace of the world.
And yet, disregarding this solemn
pledge. Senator Shields voted for the
Enox resolution. which merely declar-