Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-09-14


though he chafed under the constitu-
tional requirement that forced him
to ask it.
Throughout the long months OF
study and discussion that followed
the submission of the treaty, Presi-
dent Wilson used every weapon f
policies, patronage and of presidential
power, held the senate up to public
obloquy, appealed to every passion
kept the nation at war and closed its
ports to enemy" commerce, refused
American citizens the right to free
travel, threatened and stormed across
the continent to dictate or to over
throw the senates judgment. All in
vain. The senate stood fast. How it
stood fast is part of the nations i'm
perishable annals. And the republic
can party's leadership in that great
fight against executive domination
and executive betrayal is the most
glorious page in the last fifty years
of that party's history Nor may one
forget the democratic senators who
placed their honor and their oath
above subserviency to transient die
tator, who placed their country above
patronage and executive good will,
and stood fast, too, underterred by
the tempest at the White House.
The senate committee went careful
ly to work 1t examined scores of
witnesses in an endeavor to pierce the
veil of secrecy which still, with Presi-
dent Wilson's connivance, was spread
over the proceedings at Versailles,
Little by little, however, it uncovered
significant facts and learned the de-
tails of the making of the treaty
The most distinguished witness was
the president himself But the COM
mittee got little information from
him. AS at the February dinner, he
appeared to know little of the exact
facts and to have but vague ideas
the extent of the interna-
tional commitments to which he would
pledge the United States. The COM
session at the White House
was not public but stenographic re-
port was printed.
81 an absolutely glad" the presi-
dent said by way of introduction
that the committee should have re-N
sponded in this way to my intimation
that l would like to be of service to
it. l welcome the opportunity for a
frank and full interchange of views"
Then he urged haste in the ratifica-
ton of the treaty. The more haste,
the less opportunity there would be
for the senate or the country to learn
the dangers of the league covenant
or to discover the perils of the foreign
entanglements into which the presi-
dent was trying to lead the nation
Only, he shifted his ground trifle
Hitherto he had pleaded for the
league as an expression of unselfish
ideals. Now he asked the senators
for speed in peace-making on the
more material grounds that the cop
per mines of Montana Arizona and
Alaska were operating at a loss and
on borrowed money, that the zinc
mines of Missouri, Tennessee and
were working at half ca
pacity, that the Idaho, Illinois and
Missouri lead mines were in a bad
way, that cotton and oil and other
things which we had to sell could not
reach their markets properly be-
cause the channels of trade are barred
by war when there is no war"
Senators must valve their constitu-
tional obligations and accept the pres
dents DEGREES, because, as he put it
to them coldly and without reference
to ideals, morals, or high religious
practically the whole task
Of bringing this country back to nor
nal conditions of life and industry
waits upon the decision of the senate
with regard to the terms of the peace"
But lest the senators miss the full
burden of this plea for peace as it
relates to markets and profits he an
bounced further:
1.-THE nations that ratify the treaty. |
such as, Great Britain Belgium. and |
france, will be in a position to lay
heir plans for controlling the mar
1ets of central Europe without com |
from us if we do not present
y act. We have no consular agents. |
10 trade representatives there to look I
Ifter our interests.
Nothing, / am led to believe. stands |
n the way of the ratification of the
reaty, except certain doubts with re-
,ard to the meaning and implication
# certain articles of the covenant of
he league of nations; and l must
rankly say that l am unable to I'M
erstand why such doubts should be
Three hours of questioning shed no
light upon the things concerning
which the president could see no rea-
on for doubts" He could not ex-
lain them. He spent more than half,
n hour trying to prove that there
7as no reason why the United States
hould hesitate to assume the obliga-
ion of article 10 to protect other
eague members against external az
because this was a moral
nd not legal obligation. In a dis
on this distinction he set
p the doctrine that "a moral obliga-
on is. of course. superior to a legal
litigation, and, if I may say so. has
greater binding force: only there :
ways remains in the moral obliga-
on the right to exercise ones iude-
lent as to whether it is indeed in
lmbent upon one in those circum- /.
-ances to do that thing"
When the session at the White :
ouse was over, the senate committee
sttled back to the more prosaic and
lankful task of trying to Obtain defi- :