Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-24
Circulation Every 1000
Evening Yesterday i OOOL
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER "a, 1920.
Misinformation for New Voters.

One can but wonder at the amazing
audacity of Republican speakers IN dis
plaving such gross ignorance IN their dis
russion Of public questions during the
pending political campaigns. True, their
party has no appealing cause. 1t is dis
credited because it has discredited itself.
II is handicapped by its attitude of hos
tiltv 20 the just results Of World War IN
which our country magnifcently and sue
csssfullv took part on the side of righteous
ness and Justice; by the condemningrecord
Of it's Congress, which repudiated peace
and absolutely refused TO relieve the people
Of any of their great burden OF war taxes,
although il had ample time and oppor-
uinitv; and by It's candidate for President,
who cannot say the same thing twice IN
succession about his attitude towards the
League of Ma tions, but has been veri-
table Mr.. Facing Both-Ways from the be-
ginning Of the campaign. But this is no
reason for Republican orators making
statements that are ridiculous IN their dis
tortion of accepted history and entirely
wrong in application.
In his address to the Harding First
Voters Club in this city, the other night,
United States Senator l.. Heisler Ball,
according IL the report Of the affair print
ed IL an organ of hs party told hls young
hearers. about ~ east their first ballots,
that Americas status under the Yer
sailles pact would be worse than that pre-
,il,ne n 1876. when the country was
under British rule II is not possible 70
conceive that any ~ his Young hearers are
a. ,gnofant ~ a. accept such an astound-
ana s,atsmentt Fresh from their studies az
srho0l. they must know the condition oi
the American COLONIES IN 1870. They were
n state - sFmed revolt against such
mnk oppression hy the British Crown as
unusi and onerous taxation, dehaAng
npd r..tA restrictions as 20 business and
freedom II action, brutal outraees by in
,aaine armed forces and host q other
evils 81 cloqucntly and graphically set
forth n the Declaration of Independence.
These Young voters must know that under
no human possibility could tins great
country become subject p such tyranny
from any nation on earth. or from any
combination of nations, by acceptance OF
the Treaty Of Peace and the League OF
Nations Covenant or any other form of
international compact. The American
people are not OF a calibre that would
tamely submit 70 anything approaching
condition Of subservience TO any other
nation in the world and il is an insult 10
our intelligence, our manhood, our ac-
knowledged bravery, and our national
patriotism 10 even suggest such rank
impossibility.
senator Ball also is quoted by the same
friendly party organ as displaying SYM
uathv for China and denouncing the con-
veyance Of the Shantung lease toJapan as
an outrage. Here Senator Ball apparently
displays ignorance of the plain fact that
this section WAS lawfully conveyed 70
Germany by China. in ls9s-without the
slightest protest from Republican ma
tlonal administration then IN power at
Washington-underl lease for ninety-nlne
wears. and that Japan. fairly and in open
war. drove out the German leaseholders
and took possession. Japan, therefore has
as righteous a claim 70 this leased terri
tory until the expiration Of the ieasehold
~ our country has 10 Porto Rico or any
other territorial possessions which we ac-
CURED by our successful war with Spain.
But II IL not surprising that Senator
Ball should show himself unacquainted
with the League Of Nations Covenant. 1t
u not included in the Republican Cam
paign Text Book, issued for the guidance
II Republican campaign speakers. Re
publican party managers carefully keep
that document in the background, so
that they may distort and misrepresentits
provisions with impunity. But the people
fully understand il and its purpose. No
doubt some Of the members of the Hard
ing First Voters Club do. At any rate,
they seem 70 stand IN no probability OF
being correctly instructed by Senator
Bail