Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-07-09
DEMOCRATIC
NATIONAL
PLATE NJ


tons committee draft of the platform
was adopted by the Democratic nation
al convention without change. The
document is as follows:
The Democratic party, in it's national
convention now assembled, sends greet
ings to the president of the United States,
Woodrow Wilson, and halls with patrlouc
pride the great achievements for country
and the world wrought by a Demo pemocratlc
1t salutes the mighty people OF TINS
great republic, emerging with imperlsh.
able honor from the severe tests ana
grieVous strains of the most tragic war
in history, having earned the plaudlts
and gratitude of all free nations.
1t declares it's adherence to the funda-
mental progressive principles of social
economic and industrial justice and ad-
vance, and purposes to resume the great
work of translating these principles INTO
effective laws, begun and carried far by
rupted only when the war claimed all the
national energies for the single task OF
victory.
League of Nations.
The Democratic party favors the
League of Nations as the surest, if not
the only, practicable means of MAINTAIN
ing the permanent peace of the world
of great military and naval establish
mentS 1t was for. this that America
broke away from traditional isolation and
spent her blood and treasure to crush a
colossal scheme of conquest
1t was upon this basis that the presl-
dent of the United States, IL. prearrange-
ment with our allies, consented TO sus-
pension of hostilities against the imperial
German government the armtSuce was
granted and a treaty Soft peace negotiated
upon the definite assurance to Germany, as
well as to the powers pitted against Ger
many, that "a general association of ma
tons must be formed, under specific COW
enants for the purpose of aHordlng mu-
tuaI guarantees of political Independence
| and territorial integrity to great and
small states alike"
Hence we not only congratulate the
| president on the vision manifested and
| the vigor exhibited in the prosecution of
the war, but we felicitate him and his
| associates on the exceptional achieve
ments at Paris involved in the adoption
of a league and treaty so near akin to
previously expressed American ideals and
SO intimately related to the aspirations
of civilized peoples everywhere.
We commend the president for his cour-
age and his high conception of good faith
in steadfastly standing for the covenant
agreed to by all the associated and allied
nations at war with Germany, and we
condemn the Republican senate for it's
refusal to ratify the treaty merely be-
cause it was the product of Democratic
craftsmanship, thus interposing partisan
envy and personal hatred IN the way OF
the peace and renewed prosperity OF the
world.
BY every accepted standard of inter-
national morality the president is Justl-
fled in asserting that the honor OF the
country is involved in this business; and
we point to the accusing fact that, before
it was determined to initiate political an
tagonism to the treaty the now Repup-
lican chairman of the senate foreign re-
latiOns committee himself publicly pro-
claimed that any proposition Tor sepa-
rate peace with Germany, such as he
and his party associates thereafter re-
ported to the senate, would make us
guilty of the blacklist crime"
On May Is last the Knox substitute for
the Versailles treaty was passed by the
Republican senate; and this convention
can contrive no more fitting characterize
ton of it's obloquy than that made in the
Forum Magazine of December lYlS. by
Henry Cabot Lodge when he said:
IF we send our armies and young men
abroad to be killed and wounded in north
ern France and Flanders with no result
but this, our entrance into war with such
an intention was crime which nothing
can justify"
q The intent of congress and the intent
of the president was that there could be
no peace until we could create a situation
where no such war as this could recdr
We cannot make peace except in COM
pany with our allies. 1t would brand US
with everlasting dishonor and bring ruin
to also if we undertook to make a sep
arate peace.
Lodges Proposals Condemned.
IL &C.
momenes, considered the blacklist crime
he and his party in madness sought to
give the sanctity of law: that which eigh-
teen months ago was of Everlasting dis
honor the Republican party and its can
didates today accept as the essence of
faith.
We indorse the presidents view of our
international obligations and his firm
stand against reservations designed to
cut to pieces the vital provisions in con-
gress for voting against resolutions for
separate peace which would disgrace the
nation We advocate the immediate rat
ification of the treaty without reserva-
tons which would impair its essential i'm
tegrity; but do not oppose the acceptance
of any reservations making clearer or
more specific the obligations of the United
States to the League of Nations. Only
by doing this may we retrieve the repu-
taton of this nation among the powers
of the earth and recover the moral lead
ership which President Wilson won and
which Republican politicians at Washing
ton sacrificed. Only by doing this may
we hope to aid effectively in the resto-
ration of order throughout the world and
to take the place which we should as
sumo in the front rank of spiritual COM
mercial and industrial advancement
We reject as utterly vain, if not vicious
the Republican assumption that ratifica-
ton of the treaty and membership in the
League of Nations would in any wise
impair the integrity or independence of
our country. The fact that the cove
nant has been entered into by 20 nations
all as jealous of their independence as
we are of ours, is sufficient refutation
of such charge. The president repeatedly
has declared, and this convention reaf-
firms, that all our duties and obligations
as a member of the league must be full
filled in strict conformity with the Con-
stitution of the United States, embodied
in which is the fundamental requirement
of declaratory action by the congress be-
fore this nation may become a partici-
pant in any war.
Conduct of the War.
During the war President Wilson exhfb
tied the very broadcast conception of lib
eral AmericaniSm. In his conduct of the
war, as in the general administration of
his high office, there was no semblance
of partisan bias. He invited to Washing
ton as his councillors and coadjutors hum
dreds of the most prominent and pro-
nounced Republicans in the country To
these he committed responsibilities of the
gravest import and most confidential ma
ture. Many of them had charge of vital
activities of the government.
And yet, with the war successfully pros
ecuted and gloriously ended the Repub-
lican party in congress, far from APP
plauding the mastery leadership of the
president and facilitating the country on
the amazing achievements of the Ameri-
can government, has meanly requited the
considerate course of the chief magistrate
by savagely defaming the commander in
chief of the army and navy, by assaiing
nearly every public officer of every
cerned in winning the war abroad and
conserving the security OF the govern
ment at home.
We express to the soldiers and the
sailors of America the admiration of
their fellow countrymen. Guided by
the genius of such commanders as
Gen. John j. Pershing the armed force
of America constituted a decisive fac