The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-10-30

2na1fS OF the natlOn the WOTSI tnlnB
that can be pointed at In Its eondem-
nation is its conduct In relation to the
League of Nations. 1t has utterly
failed to keep faith with the people
and deliberately broken and ignored
the assurances 1t gave the voters OF
this country four years ago when It
said that the best way of getting into
league of nations would be to vote
| for Harding. Those assurances have
been disregarded and ignored for
purely party purposes and in bit
terly partizan spirit. And the high
hopes which all the nations of the
earth had of America as great moral
leader and advocate of justice and
peace among nations has been dashed
to earth.
The Republican candidate for the
presidency Says that the League OF
Nations Is a dead issue in this coun-
try. If that statement were really
true 1t would be the most severe con-
domination ever passed upon the in
telligence. ideals and moral integrity
Of the American people. But let us
see how much truth there Is in this
statement. The only popular vote
that has ever been taken on this sub
ject showed a large majority In favor
of some sort of league of nations.
Nearly all OF the great Protestant re-
ligious organizations of the country
have passed strongly worded resolu-
lions demanding that steps be taken
for our entry into the League Of Ma
lions as IT now exists. From another
direction comes the latest important
If fnin
subject. Forty-seven presidents of
our colleges and universities and
twenty-three professors have an
nounced their intention, In a strongly
worded statement, OF voting for Mr..
Davis as the only present hope OF see
ing the United States a member OF
The League of Nations and thus hay
ing an opportunity of discharging its
greatest moral obligation In promot-
ihg1 sfe peace. III theVworld
OF Thd Great @feadgts In our religious
Ufganisat,bns piaffeLl'f Institutions of
fgarning have nd Political axes to
Grind They af' pfompted by none
other than the Most 'unselfish of mo-
tives. The religious leaders have at
last come to realize that the attitude
of those who oppose the League OF
Nations is not Christian but purely
and wholly Pagan, and that however
inconsistent many individual church
members may be In supporting, by
their votes, a Pagan political regime,
the church organization itself must
go on record as indorsing and sup
porting the principles taught by the
Founder of the Christian religion.
The forty-seven college presidents
and the twenty-three professors are
the teachers of the youth OF the ma
ton, the young men who must soon
assume the responsibilities of citizen
ship, and they desire to set an exam
Pile to those students of high, dis
Interested discharge of political duty
and so they announce their intention
of voting for one of the ablest and
cleanest men In the country, man
with every qualification for distin-
guished leadership, but chiefly be-
cause they believe that this man will
lead the United States into the League
of Nations. ~ ~ 10 81
The League of Nations II dead Is
sue, says Mr. Coolidge! The time Is
not far distant when it'will be seen
to be the most living, vital issne be-
fore the American people,. Those
who have kept us out of the League
of Nations have shown bitterly par
tizan and Mt the same time a thorough
ly pusillaniftious spirit. The worst.
the most contemplate eowardice In
the world Is moral cowardfca and
those who have fought the League of
Nations have appealed in their so
phistieal arguments, to all that Is
morally weak and cowardly
But all moral considerations and
high ideals, all pride in the moral
leadership Of our nation apart, the
economic interests of our country
point us directly to the League as
the most effective means for promot-
ing the business sinterests of this
country as well as the rest of the
world The United States has lost
untold millions through the long con-
tinued business depression In Europe,
a condition which would have been
largely obviated II we had Joined the
League of Nations at the time of its
formation and thus been enabled to
throw the whole weight of our moral
and financial influence in favor of dis
armament and the control of all the
interests which lead to war. For
every dollar that we pay in taxes
more than seventy cents 60" for the
Support ofiIar 'c6ndiVons. past, pres
eht and future. pfhin% what 1t would
Mean FOR the pr6sperity and progress
of bur cpGhtry ff'ahf that. vast sum of
hf6nege which ~ fiBwA annually spent
for War purposes dSh1d be devoted to
all sorts of internal purposes and the
great needs of education. No Won
der one worker in ton in this coun-
try Is always out of employment. No
wonder the warden of Sing Sing pris-
on should say. as he did recently, that
the greatest cause of crime In this
country Is lack of education. Then
why not vote for the man who has
pledged himself. If elected. to lead us
into the League of Nations and thus
away from war, the man who will re-
store to us the lost confidence of the
world and make America great
leader among the nations of the earth.
j. LEON WILLIAMS
Moses II. Knox, who advocates the
election of LaFollette, was born In
New Brunswick and came to this
country at the age of seventeen. For