The St. Joseph observer., 1920-08-07
proof Of its competency is the proof
of the ability of the people to govern.
THE vENAL STAR ExUITs

TIE VENAL STAR EXUITS
Down at the Kaw's mouth there is
a paper published known as the Star
and it might be remarked in pass
ing that it has never as yet supported
man or an issue that has won-for
the people know it and its devious
ways.
This sheet is now a full fledged
supporter of Harding, as it was of
Roosevelt and in an issue OF last
week it in its exultation in comment
ing on Harding's speech of accept
ance said: The voters can forget
about reservations. The issue is be-
yond that. 1t is Wilson league or a
new effort along different lines to-
ward tho purpose OF preventing wars.
They can take their choice now. If
they want the Wilson league, even
with mild reservations, they should
vote for Cox. II they want a new
deal. the way to get it is to vote for
Harding"
| Precisely true and exactly accurate
except that II the voters want the
! league not only with mild reserva-
tions, but with strong ones even with
the Lodge reservations, they cannot
| get it by voting for Harding. The
Lodge reservationists along with the
mild reservationists must vote for
| Cox or forswear their convictions.
Senator Harding has thrown off the
mask Of hypocrisy and pretense that
attended the course OF the league
covenant through the senate to its
defeat. There the republican sena-
tors. except for bakers dozen of
bitter enders." pretended to be for
| the league. 1hey wanted to ratify
Il, but with reservations. They were
anxious that the Urited states should
become q member Of this great asso-
citation of nations to preserve the
peace. That was the way Harding
himself voted-for the league with
reservations.
And now Harding as a candidate is
frankly against the league, with or
without reservations. He wants to
conclude a separate peace with Ger
many. ditch the treaty. and then
hopefully approach" the league
members and invite them to join an
association that will make no prom
i5es, but try to preserve peace by
moral suasiOn. His attitude now ad-
mits that the charges made against
republican senators that their
| Friendship" for the league with
reservations" was false-the pretense
of assassins who hoped thus more eff
fectively and safely to be able to ad-
minister the death blow.
II is we'll that the mask is off. 1t
n well that Harding accepts the lead
ership of Hi Johnson. who at least
has had throughout the courage Of
his convictions.
But where does this leave Taft?
Where does it leave Root. and Lowell,
and Wickersham. and Burton and
other republican leaders who have
supported the league. with or with
out reservations? Where does it leave
newspapers like the Philadelphia
Public Ledger. the New York Tribune.
the Chicago Daily News. the Des
Moines Register, the Lincoln Journal
that have been league champions and
that have denounced the battalion
Of death" senators as boldly as did
any democratic paper?
VIII they tamely submit TO become
captiycs in the tents Of the enemy &?
VIII they abandon their independ-
ence and intellectual integrity to be
como party mercenaries? or will
they assert their independence, stand
by thcir convictions, and continue to
fight as their conscience and judg-
ment have pointed the way?