Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-17

did not believe that America should
enter the struggle.
To refuse a vote for Hoke Smith
now because he was not IN favor OF
Americas entering the European
war at the time the Lusitanla was
vote cast for President Wilson III
1916, when the slogan which in all
probability gave him a second term
in the White House was, He Kept
Us Out of War"
Senator Smith and His Critics
AUGUSTA HERALD. - AS the
campaign progresses in the Georgia
becomes apparent that the fight is
more to discredit Georgia's senior
senator than it is a bona t1de ef-
fort to carry the state for Attor-
ney General Palmer. The political
enemies of Senator Smith seem to
think the main idea is to heap all
possible abuse and misrepresenta-
ton upon him rather than to dis
cuss the issues in the campaign as
represented by the peace treaty and
League of Nations.
A Georgia political campaign in
apparently would not be complete
without the attendant abuse. and
villification heaped upon him by his
political enemies. oWever, it is no
new thing and as the past has so
often indicated, the senator seems
The real big issue in the cam
peign and the one the people want
to hear the senator upon is the
League of Nations and the reasons
TO rthe senator's insistence that the
league should not be ratified by the
| senate without strong reservations
ment and at the same time preserve
the traditions of this country and
Americas policy in regard to inter-
national affairs. The platform of
the three candidates in the Geor-
of Hon. Thos. E. Watson, opposi-
ton to any league at all, in the
case of Mr.. Palmer, the attorney
general, ratification just as it came
reservations as will not change the
league but clarity any doubtful
points and the position of Senator
Smith, who urges strong reserVa,,
tions such as will "Americanlze"
the document according to American
ideals and traditions.
Surely it is possible to discuss
such issues without resorting to
peanut politics and personal abuse
and Misrepresentation such as seems
to be filing the newspapers of the
state that are opposing Senator
Smith in the primary.
record in the United States senate
has been forcib1e and construc-
tive one for Georgia, for the south
and for the nation. This is general
ly recognized by the people OF the
doubtless he himself would be
among the first to admit. On the
other hand. we are confident. that
his position on the League of Ma
tons is endorsed by large major
ity of the voters of the state and
will so indicate.
Bec1ouding the Issue
SYLVANIA TELEPHONE: 1t is
very apparent that some of the daily
newspapers in Georgia are attempt
ing to divert the minds of the people
from the real and only issue in the
coming presidential primary by att
Hoke Smith. We do not think there
is anything in Senator Smiths rec
ord that the people of Georgia should
not be willing to indorse, but wheth-
this state stands for the UNFOLDING
of a principle that is far more I'M
portant than any mans record--and
this, not the man himself, is the
real issue.
The criticisms that Senator Smith
was OppOSeQ 10 Hastily plullS llIso LAlS
country into war with Germany
would also involve many other Dem
ocrats, President Wilson among the
rest. We have not forgotten his IA
nous phrase, There is such thing
as being too proud to fight" and, If
we remember Alright, he was elected
the last time on the slogan He kept
US out of the war" We believe he
was right in this, as well as Sena-
tor Smith and others. Sentiment had
not fully crystallized at that time
in favor of the war, but when the
break did come, practically every
American was ready to stand by the
president, and the congress, with
very few exceptions, of which Sena-
tor Smith was not one, gave him
their unstinted support.
But, as we have said, all this has
nothing to do with the issue. in the
coming primary. The war has been
won-at great sacrifices to this coun-
try, which none of us should regret.
And the Americans won it. We
saved France, and we saved Great
Brtain-and we are glad that we
did it. But the question is, shall we
enter into a compact, binding our
selves and our children to send our
boys across the seas again, to aid
them whenever their territorial or
other rights are threatened? In the
name of all that is just, haven't we
done enough, without asking to be
allowed to participate in all their
future controversies and quarrels?
This is what the people of Georgia