The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-07-16
EDITORIAL COMMENT

Element of the war that Mr.. Cum
mings makes out poor case, both
for Mr. Wilson and the league. The
party chairman should have delegated
this task to some one better qualifi-
ed to perform 1t, for it is a most diff
cult task Mr. Cummings was look
ing down upon an audience composed
in part of Democratic senators who
had spert months of anxious study in
the endeavor to reconcile their loyal
ty to their party leader with their
serse of patriotic duty These sena-
tors had gone far deeper into the
questions raised by the league cove
nant than Mr.. Cummings could be en-
peoted to go, and 81 of them had vot-
ed for reservations which President
Wilson described as multiplying" The
senators are strong party men. well
knowing the advantage of unity in
party policies and actions. The poll
teal lives of many of them Deepen
largely upon the degree of their sup
port of President Wilson. 1t had been
said that the Republicans had made
opposition to the league partisan
matter. This, if true, would have
gone far to justify the Democratic
senators in supporting the league. ev-
en- if they privately disapproved OF it
Therefore the action of these DeTo-
cratic senators in voting against
President wilson's version of the
covenant must have been based upon
the most compelling reasons.
Imagine, then, the feelings OF
these thorough students of the cove
nant to hear Mr.. Cummings describe
1t as 1.-The Monroe doctrine of the
world" 1t would be difficult to NJ
tier a phrase more inaccurate and mis-
leading than that. President Wilson
could not have read Mr., Cummings
speech very attentively, or he would
have stricken out that unfortunate
phrase. The covenant is not only
not the Monroe doctrine of the world
but II contains an article which pur-
norris to exempt the Monroe doctrine
from its jurisdiction. Democratic
senators to the number of seventeen
were not satisfied with this amb!'
guous exemption and voted for a re-
servation retaining in the United
States full liberty of action in con
STRUNG and applying the Monroe doc
trine. There was no anti-Democra-
tic craftsmanship in their action, even
if Republican senators were inspire
solely by partissnship.
'Mr. Cummings attempted to eX-
plain away the inequality OF voting
power between the British empire and
the U. 5. 1t was an unfortunate re-
petition of arguments which were
long ago disposed of in the Sena'e'
and the Democratic senators who
voted in favor of the equal voting
power of the United States must
have been made very uncomfortable
as they listened to Mr.. Cummings
Are these senators to be defeated Tor
the votes they cast? If so, the Re-
publican party will fasten its grip
upon the Senate. In that case. how
will the Democratic party be bene-
fitted? How will the cause OF ths
league covenant be advanced?
1.-The simple, impartial truth is thai
the Democratic party and the Demo-
cratic nominee are placed in an ex-
tremely awkward predicament by the
insistence of Mr.. Wilson upon ac-
ceptance of the treaty as it was fran
ed at Paris. The party is split by !
this uncompromising stand. Demo-
cratic senators who stood by Presi- |
dent Wilson through thick and thin
on all other questions were unable TO
support him in this demand. They |
did everything possible to dissuade |
him from taking a stand which could |
mean nothing else than disaster from
a party viewpoint. Finally, unable
to find a compromise, they cast their
votes for reservations which they
deemed essential to the security and
welfare of the United States.
"These senators are now compelled
to defend the position they assumed
They cannot evade the responsibility
for the votes they cast, and they have
already proved that they are not
afraid to face the consequences. In
every State represented by these sen
ators there is to be fight against
the covenant as written at Paris. Ev-
cry one of these Democratic senator's
has a strong following in his own
State. In the heat and bitterness OF
the campaign, in which the political
lives of all these senators are at stake
il is inevitable that Democrats should
quarrel over this distracting and dis
reputive issue. The candidate will be
placed in a most embarrassing posi-
ton in many States.--Washington
Post.