Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-01-08
WAITING WORD
FROM WILSON
AS TO TREATY
Party Leaders ate h
Trend Toward Making
It Political Issue.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus).


Jackson day dinner of the Demo
cratic party which is being held
here coincident with the meeting OF
the Democratic national committee:
Two views prevail-those who be-
lieve that the silence which the
president has maintained since the
pact failed Of q two-thirds vote in
the last session of congress should
not be broken at a purely partisan
gathering but to the senate and
those who say the Republican ban
Quets and political meetings recent
ly, including the Ohio society dim
ner at New York, have given the
impression that the president is
standing out against the so-called
Americanizing Of the treaty and
league by reservations and should
use the occasion to explain his Do
sition.
Leaders Lively.
Just what the president will say
is a secret for the simple reason
that he will reserve till the last
minute the opportunity to pen his
thoughts to the banquet. For a
supposedly declining party, the
Democrats are putting up an even
livlier front than the Republicans
when they were here for the nation
al committee meeting recently
Possibly it is because the Demo
Gratis have sort Of free for all
contest on and perhaps it is be-
cause there are to be present such
veteran figures as William Jennings
Bryan and Senator Oscar Under
wood and Senator Gilbert M. Hitch
cock and Attorney General Palmer
all OF whom have made the nomin-
ating conventions of recent years
very interesting. Anyway the Dem
ocrats have managed to work uI
considerable interest in the ma
tional capital and each and every
candidate for the presidency or his
friends are on the Job talking about
issues, personalities, treaty fight
and what not. In contrast to the
Republican meeting where it was
considered better strategy to sup.
press talk of individuals and con.
centrate on party harmony, the
Democrats reveal the very opposite
"a talkativeness about everything
Judging by the number of speeches
nearly four hours of (which il
planned at the banquet, which by
the way is to be held in two sepa
rate hotels to accommodate the
overflow-there will be plenty O
politics released before the week il
over. a.,. -,
On Delicate Ground.
But while Mr.. Bryan talks abou
government ownership and argue.
against any reduction of taxes OF
big business and hits at the pro
posed abolition of the right of rail
way employees to strike, there
stands in the background the big
gest issue of all-the League of Ma
tions. President Wilson Is tread
ing on delicate ground. There are
Republicans in the senate wht
would like nothing better than {
pronouncement, from Mr.. Wilson
which would enable them to say HI
is making a party matter of tn,
treaty controversy and that thu
best thing to do is to settle it il
the next campaign. Senator Lodge
himself, has said that while th'
Republican party would not taxi
the initiative in making the treat,
a party issue, he and his colleague.
welcomed the opportunity to carr,
the matter into the campaign. TIL,
''irreconcilables," as the group i.
called which is intent on killing
the treaty and league altogether
are striving hard to get the treat,
into the campaign being confiden
that as time goes on and the peopl,
become familiar with the intrica
cies of the question they will vot'
for the men who openly favor re
| jecting the treaty.
Democrats See Strength.
On the Democratic side, one find
the other kind of confidence ant
analysis of the status of publi
opinion. There are Democrats VIII,
say that while they are admitted.
weak on domestic issues and tha
the people are irritated over vari
Gus instances Of mismanagemen
and inefficiency revealed by mem
bers of the Democratic administra
tion. the desire to get the treat,
ratified and normal business condi
tions established would give tn
Democrats strength from larg
numbers Of the American peopl
who if voting on domestic affair
alone would not think of support
ing the Democratic ticket. 1t
therefore slowly becoming eviden
that on both the Democratic an
Republican sides there isn't sue
a reluctance to let the treaty be
come an issue unfortunate as tn
result may be for Europe and tn
world at large. But as remarke
before in these columns, the two oil
line parties are considerably NOR
interested in their own partisa
success this year than in anythin
else. The move being made by tn
Democrats to compromise the treat
has in it elements Of camouflag,
The Republicans smilingly call th
Democratic offer surrender" bu
at the same time hesitate to sa
they will accept it. There is som
suspicion that the Democrats woul
be surprised and dumbfounded if th
Republicans did accept it and ths
they are hoping that the Republ
cans will pile up a record of refus
ing to compromise so as to maR
good material for the campaign ou
cry that the Republican party
delaying peace.