Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-15

the jury which will probably take
several days.
The officers who will be in charge
of the case will he Sheriff f. H.
Tracy, Deputy II. c. Lawson, H. j.
Slayton and A. A. Emery.
among their own people, what internal
disorders arc being fomented.
Without the covenant of the League
of Nations, there may be as many secret
treaties as ever, to destroy the conf
dence of governments In each other, and
their validity cannot he questioned. None
of the objects professed to be fight
ing for has been secured or can be made
certain of without this nations ratiflca-
ton of the treaty and it's entry into the
covenant. This nation entered the great
war to vindicate its own rights and to
protect and preserve free government. 1t
went into the war to see 1t through to
the end, and the end has not yet come.
II went into the war to make an end of
militarism, to furnish guarantees to weak
nations and to make a Just and lasting
peace. 1t entered It with noble enthus-
iasms. Five Of the leading belligerents
have accepted the treaty and formal rati-
fications will soon be exchanged. The
VueSllOu is WnelneT tnlS country Will
enter and enter fundamentally. II It
does not do so. the United States and
Germany will play lone hand in the
world. The maintenance Of the peace of
the world and the effective execution of
the treaty depend upon the wholehearted
participation of the United States. I
am not stating it as a matter of power.
The point is that the United States is
the only nation which has sufficient moral
force with the rest of the world to guar
antee the substitution of discussion for
war. II we keep out of this agreement,
il we do not give our guarantees. then
another attempt will be made to crush
the new nations of Europe.
NOT THE NATIONS DECISION
IT do not believe that this is what
the people of this country wish or will
be satisfied with. Personally, I do not
accept the action of the Senate Of the
United States as the decision of the
nation. l have asserted from the first
that the overwhelming majority Of the
people of this country desire the rati-
fication of the treaty, and my impress
sion to that effect has recently been
confirmed by the unmistakable evil
dences of public opinion given during
my visit to seventeen of the States.
have endeavored to make il plain that
if the Senate wishes to say what the
undoubted meaning Of the league is,
shall have no objection. There can be
no reasonable objection to interpreta-
lions accompanying the act of ratifi-
cation itself. But when the treaty is
acted upon, I must know whether il
means that we have ratified or reject
ed it. We cannot rewrite this treaty
which alter its meaning, or leave 1t
and then, after the rest of the world
has signed it, we must face the UNI
thinl<able task of making another and
separate kind of treaty with Germany
NEED SOLEMN REFERENDUM
But no mere assertions with regard
| to the wish and opinion of the country
are credited. If there is any doubt as to
what the people of the country think on
this vital matter, the clear and single
way out is to submit it for determinati ton
at the next election to the voters of the
nation to give the next election the form,
of a great and solemn referendum, a
referendum as to the part the United
States is to play in completing the settle
ments of the war. and in the prevention
in the future of such outrages as Ger
no more moral right to refuse now TO take
part in the execution and administra ton
of these settlements than we had to re-
fuse to take part in the fighting of the
last few weeks of the war which brough,
victory and made 1t possible to dictate
to Germany what the settlements should
| be. Our fidelity to our associates in the
war is in question, and the whole future
of mankind 1t will be heartening to the
whole world to know the attitude and
purpose of the people of the United
States.
DEMOCRACY NOT INDICATED
II spoke just now of the spiritual lead.
orship of the United States. thinking OF
! international affairs. But there is an
other spiritual leadership which is open
to us and which we can assume The
world has been made safe for democracy
but democracy has not been finally vim.
dictated. All sorts OF crimes are being
| committed in it's name. all sorts of pre-.
posterous perversions of it's doctrines and
! practices are being attempted. This, in
= my Judgment is to be the great privilege
of the democracy of the United States
| to show that it can lead the way in the
solution of the great social and indus
! trial problems of our time, and lead the
way to happy settled order OF life. az
well as to political liberty The program
! for this achievement we must attemp,
TO formulate. and in carrying 1t out we
shall do more than can he done in an,
other way to sweep out of existence the
tyrannous and arbitrary forms of power
which are now masquerading under the
name of popular government.
whenever we look back to Andrew
Jackson we should draw fresh inspira
ton from his character and example
His mind grasped with such splendid
definiteness and hrmness the principle OF
national authority and national action
He was so indomitable in his purpose
to give reality to the principles of the
government, that this is very fortunate
| time to recall his career and to renew our
! VOWS Of faithfulness to the principles
and the pure practices of democracy
rejoice to join you in this renewal OF
! faith and purpose. hope that the whole
evening may be of the happiest results
as regards the fortunes OF our party and
the nation"
|