The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-18
THE LEAGUE AS AN ISSUE


grsssmen returning to Washington express
the opinion that the League of Nations
should not be made party issue in the next
presidential campaign. The reason is given
that it would not be politically ex-
pedient. Yet Woodrow Wilson declares
that it would be better for the party to go
down into defeat for principle than to go
into power simply on platform of ex-
pediency. Men in politics, however, can
hardly bring themselves to accept this view,
for few officeholders can hold themselves to
such rigorous policy. The desire to retain
or to win high position too often works
counter to the best public advantage. Until
this nation is governed by men who will
place principle before any personal con-
sideration it will have many lamentable
shortcomings in government.
The question many politicians are asking
themselves today is not whether the League
of Nations is right and to accept membership
therein our national duty, but whether, if it
gets out that they believe in the league,
they can be elected. The nation has. just
witnessed that sort of thing work out In
the recent elections in which the republicans
suffered such setback because they brought
personal consideration to the fore and re-
fused to stand solidly for those principles
and that legislation which promised most for
the general welfare.
The democratic party is committed to the
League of Nations, and recently staked its
fate on that proposition. 1t is true that the
party suffered defeat at the polls, but it is
not proved that the League of Nations was
rejected. On the contrary, it is likely that
many voters interpreted the republican pre-
election assurances as to an association of
nations as amounting to virtual acceptance
of the league principle. The republican sue
cess of two years ago is more properly at
tributed to the natural reaction against the
intolerable conditions of war inevitably car
ried over into peace, and to the natural
human tendency always to blame somebody
even for things beyond their control and was
not due to democratic espousal of the League
of Nations.
The attitude on the league is a question
that cannot be settled offhand. There was
evident at the last election a turning back
to the democratic party and that means to
Gratis have stood, including the plan for last
ing peace inseparably connected in the popu-
lar mind with the democratic party If the
party should turn from the League of Ma
tions merely on the ground of its political
inexpediency, that reason could not be hid
den from the people, and certainly the people
will not vote for candidates merely on the
ground of expedienev alone
The events OF the past two years have re-
vealed the impossiblity of continued holding
to the tenet of isolation. Even the repun-
lican administration has not been able to
withhold itself from participation, called
unofficial in many international confer
ences in which our interests. and interna-
tional interests have been involved How
much better it would be if our observers"
were delegates in good and regular standing.
The democrats cannot forget that today
they are the party of progress and are ex-
pected' to lead where the republicans have
failed to lead.