Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-07-14
JOHNSON TO STAY
BY REPUBLICANS
Says the League of Nations Must be
the Chief Issue in the Campaign
REPUBLICAN PARTY AGAINST
PRESIDENTS COVENANT
Denounces 1t as Breeding War Rath-
err Than Promoting Peace, as 1t
4 is Presented.

is Presented.
Support of the Republican party
"with a candidate standing four
square upon the platform" is the
only choice left those who believe
in safeguarding, protecting and pre-
serving our Americanism." Senator
Hiram w. Johnson of California de-
clared in a statement at his home in
San Francisco last week.
For more than year the con-
test over the presidents league of
nations has been waged in cong
ress.,' Senator Johnson's statement
said. "It has been the all engrossing
and paramount issue. OF necessity,
this issue came to the conventions of
the great political parties. Both re-
publicans and y democrats in their
platforms have INDUCED in the usual
political verbosity but. nevertheless
these platforms, in direct opposition
90 each other, sharply define and
clearly present the question for de-
cision in the November election.
"The republican party declared
that the presidents covenant, fail
ed signally to accomplish its pur-
pose, and contained stipulations not
only intolerable for an independent
people, but certain to produce the
injustice, hostility and controversity
among nations which it proposed to
prevent and 'repudiated to degree
wholly unnecessary and unjustifiable
the time honored policies in favor of
peace, declared by Washington, JET
ferson and Monroe"
''The republican party stands
therefore, firmly against the presi-
dents covenant as presented. de-
1ounces it as breeding war rather
than promoting peace, and reaf-
firms the time honored. nation old
policies of Washington. Jefferson and
Monroe.
''The democratic party on the
other hand, rejected every effort
10 modify or qualify the presidents s
proposed league of nations, in
dorsed the presidents attitude and
took it's position in favor of the
league as presented. 1t is true that
the democrats. in effort to placate,
say something about refervations
which might make clearer or more
specific the obligations of the United
States, but the language is meaning
>ltss and does not at all alter the es-
sential position of the democratic
party for the league as presented.
THE two parties acted in similar
fashion in one respect but from die
ferent motives and for different rea
sons.
Both rejected the pleas for adop-
tion of the league with reserva
tions, the democrats because they
were for the league as presented and
because no reservations devised by
the human mind could anticipate the
contingencies which might arise in
the future from an instrument OF
such political possibilities for harm
Thus the issue finally comes
from the forum of congress to the
1lnal arbitrament of the American
people. The overshadowing dues
tion in the campaign, therefore II
whether we enter the maelstror oi
Europe and Asiatic politics anG
diplomacy and become part OF the
cynical Imperialism of the old world
or whether America shall live heI
life in her own way, independent
nnfettered, mindful, always of hei
obligations to humanity and civili:
alton, but free to act as each crisi.
shall arise and maintaining Away.
the policy of Washington and Jeffnr
son and Monroe, of friendship with
all nations, entanglinG. alliances witt
none.
with candidate standing foul
square upon the platform, the Is
sue leaves those who believe IL
safeguarding, protecting and rre
serving our Americanism but one
choice. and that. is to suppor; th'
republican party"
II is perhaps true, as economist.