The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-01-22
THE DEMOCRATIC SCRAMBLE.

OSllilllSS bryan ciS TIE Sell-COHSClCuCSu
spokesman of the Democratic party,
all efforts to hide the fact of the wide
open division in the Democratic ranks
will prove futile. Despite every en-
deavor to have it appear that it is
truly Democratic to have the field for
the Presidency wide open, with every
one for himself and the devil take
the hindmost, the fact is outstanding
that there is no freedom of atmos-
phere, but that the Democrats aspi-
rants for the presidency know that
they must enter the contest with gas
masks on and to make progress tlrou
the shell holes caused by the fine
craftsmanship of the Republicans.
There is no fine atmosphere of free
dom. The Democrats are shackled to
their traditions of futility. They are
distracted by the glamour of Bryan.
They are in the straightjacket of Will
sonian domination of the policies of
the party. The announced candidates
for the Democratic party's support, as
they make their declarations, must do
so with a sickening sense of the odds
that are against them. They have no
prospect for coherent and efficient sup
port for their hopes. The conditions
of every mans hand being against
that of his brother does not give rise
to optimism for the Democratic can
didates.
Mr.. Wilson has expressed himself.
Mr.. Bryan has spoken. From the one
has come the cool assertion of infalli-
oility and from the other has come
the more practical but the decisive
counsels of a man whose very presence
in the front ranks of the party at his
time assures the splitting of the par
ty practically, if not obviously. There
can be no real accord between men
OF such different types and tempera-
ments and with such contrary views
as to political eXpediency and the ut.l-
ity of their respective positions as to
the peace treaty and other things. Lip
service from Bryan to Wilson means
little. Lip service from Wilson to
Bryan means less. The rank and file
of the Democratic party is asking:
Sirs, what can we do to be saved?
There is no essential agreement be-
tween the Nebraskan and the Presi-
dent. Mr.. Wilson, eliminated from
professed purpose to control the selec-
ton of his party, would not mean
the admiration of the influence of the
President in the convention and the
campaign.
The Republicans have been accused
of seeking to make a political pawn
OF the peace treaty. In fact the adj
ministration Democrats have been
seeking desperately to have this as
their trump card. The Republicans
have been too astute for them and will
continue to be. The only way to rat
ification is the Lodge way and the
Democrats will have to follow it. It is
useless to seek to excoriate the Re-
publicans as the ones responsible for
failure to ratify. The record shows
that the only plan for ratification that
has been worked out is that which
came forth from the foreign relations
committee. The only thing that was
proposed in opposition was outright
and blind Endorsement of President
Wilson without regard to the bear
ings of that Endorsement upon the vi
tai interests of the nation.
Yet Mr. Wilson has said that The
things sought by the reservationists
are the things that are already under
stood to be in the covenant effectively.
Here is q @ bubble upon which the Ell
tire policy Of the administration DEM
ocrats in holding back ratification OF
the treaty has rested. Mr.. Wilson
says, let us be satisfied with the un-
derstanding of those who made the
treaty. The Foreign Relations Com
mittee has said anything that is I'M
derstood can be and should be ex-
pressed. And yet the President has
baked and held to a stubborn pur
pose, despite anythingh he now says.
He has declared that the reservations
proposed would necessitate resubmis-
sion of the treaty. This has proven
to be not so. The record of the Re-
publicans has not been above re-
proach, but they have been true
friends of the treaty, the only ones
who have been able to present ra-
t1onal plan for its ratification. They