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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1920)
., nK'j , 'v.i - , 44 ,' :-.i ,) :ff1 - 1'. JULY, 1920 , S , ' v 1- ' - ' T1ieommoner M 1 .' rum? ! h he wonder fs that it was asearly.peMect.ao it Lag The Republicans immediately attackedVit :nV magnified what .they regarded as H 'dan cers H tlio matter cduld' have been considered 1 'u. an international question Without oartisanslilp being injected into.it, the' President Jnd the Senate wduld have had little difficulty In reaching an agreement aff to reservations, partisanship is as paralyzing- to calm, thinking is alcohol and the person affected is; as uncon jclous of being affectodV It is one of the, curious characteristics' of partial Jfitofcicatlon th&t the -man under its influence is quite- sure that he Ias it his best. If he is hooting at a target ho" eongratulates himself on his accuracy oven if. his bullets endanger bystanders. S6 with partizan thip; the more partisan -a man is the more-sure he feela that he is actuated by n. patriotic pur pose almost holy in itsjdisinterestedness. Both Democrats and Republicans vwore convinced that their opponents Wou'ld agree with them but tor their partisanship -and the President" Was most . unconscious of all of. .any partisan r interest in the result. '. - Now, we are entering Upon a campaign and " tho leaders of eachiart;y feel' euro that they' can win a partisan advantage by "dragging this issue down into a partisan struggle " aiid'tfiey con gratulate themselves'-IhaVtHey. are, doing it for a great, unselfish and; iiatrkfticpurpose. It's a great national gttod that thVyftre bent on achiev ing and it is merely a coincidence that in tho opinion of both sides this can only be secured through a party victory; -- '- Thus deluded tiie are 'staging a snan'i battle over a sham isfcud knowing wprfe they .do so that neither side can 'possitily 'secure 'two-thirds of the Senate at the coming.' election" and Icno Wing therefore that there must 'be a 'gompf'omfoe at the end of the campaign4 it any" agreement is to bo reached. Just 'ad .ttie exhilarated' toper 'do ceives nobody bu t ;hi jnself ' so thefse'un'cQns'creu'f- ly partisan leaders are fjbblihg "themselves only. A largo nlajbrity "of "thV American peoplp are Infinitely more inte'rested in 'getting tliik treaty ratified and the LeauVI'of Rations established and out of the'wayHrneVrein!'the phraso- that our party ought 'to appeal. - Tlie partisans m both parties wilPvote ttie ticket anyhow no matter What the party says or does riot' say, but we never have liad as many .voters in the doubt ful column as we have today. iThey do not care through what party' relief comes if it only comes quickly. Just as the allies' would rather have us come ivto the League with any reservations Whatever than .to stay out, so the average Voter will regard time as the material factor 'and sup port the party that gives-promise of immediate relief. . , U Is to this large element that 6W party ough w appeal and it is this element that I:had in mind J urging a course different from any that has wis far been proposed.- 1 Venture to put or. Paper for the first-Aims an- outline of a plan JWch, in my judgment, ill makVihe Demo. amc party victoriomHn this campaign because 'Si? y becaugQ it.lmta'the country above iho S5w!ld includes ;tho"' civilised Xorld in its calculations. ' ? r. : Tbo plan: " c-"" ' , nJl?? oe'ratic partr":dentands an .antend-SS- ? G Ped6ra constitution providing for w cation of treaties by a, majority vote, so that thrlL as easy to-efta a war as it is to de7 imtZr Wanting ourselves" upon tho . most naSental Principle of popular government, dnnfv i ' ,tbe right' the pdoplo to rule--a ZZ n 8UPPrt of which w have recently ffii?V2B'000PMO$ f dollars and for -w?fl!e aVe Bttriftce4 IOOjOOQ' .precious' lives ate tw ?J,an immediale reconvening of the sen treatv I TB PrinciPie may'-15e applied to tlie Buch L troJersy and ratification secured with mav ;8ervalio,ns as a jriajority of thb senators ". &kinfef Upn' re8vfng' f 3r the" future the eary sucu changes as wo may deem ncces- the II ?r ointment 4y the President with sent fhf of tne serite.of -delegates to repre-' tiosen iS ,nation -the league until regularly ,, " Qelgates are elected and qualified - ' We WuT tUo SGlectipn of tlie ixation's dele to dlRtw . LGaeue of Nations by popular vote toouS :8 m ord6r ih tn iPoojplci may.speak HeaJ!n?pr?Bentat!'0' theiV own Choice in Um f!!1 M tribun'ar which will, cbhUido ' the lro of the world.; y' ' "-W -" The dolegaC63KduId-Sfir InstrucTed' n "mm" ' A condor irmTelr IflC. aUthorlty fr dum vote. pcopl Given by reforcn- Btru?tUed ?oat!nfl;st upoTn ??Uld alB0 bo J world in order that thnhld8armamont ot th may bo lifted from tlniUr,d,0tt of ""rlaiu toil and toofoSSdatlnn 8nhfnu,dcrB ,of those who laid in iJSj ? P-o in?nP rat "cation mediately upon alcS fining the wishes of the majority of the Sen ate; it can by casting votes or withholding votes convert a -majority into the two-third . major S roquired by the constitution. y It can not only end the deadlock now but it offers a plan that will make future treaty dead looks impossible and thus save the nation from the disgrace that this two-thirds provision has brought upon it. We alone of all the great na , tions have found it impossible to get out ot war a fact that impairs the valuo of our example in the countries that are striving to ostabliBh republics.' The plan presents a method of electing dele gates, that will insure to the people the right to choose their representatives in this great tribunal Which offers to the world its only hope of peace. By compelling tho delegates to await author ity, from congress or from tho American peoplo direct before- giving this nation sanction to war We answer practically all tho objections that have beeniiuade to tho covenant and yet do so in a manner entirely consistent with our nation's rights , and the genius of our institutions. I When we instruct our delegates to demand universal disarmament we turn away from tho false theories of the past from the precedents that have written human history in characters of blood and hasten the coming of the day when the song of the angels on earth peace, good will towardv men shall become an international anthem. ' The world is weary of war: enough tears have been shed within the last five years to wash all the sins of tho world; enough blood has been poured out upon the earth to fertilize in every land tho soil from which will spring the hopes of a now civilization. Our allies owe us nearly ten billions of dol lars which it will take them generations to pay and "they cannot pay it without exacting from the vanquished a tool that will preclude tho reestablishment of friendship. We can afford to use any -part of this indebtedness that may bo necessary to secure such a readjustment of tho terms of the treaty as may bo required to bring friends and foes. into accord, so that the World may turn over a new leaf at onco and the world's commerce bo revived. Such a plan would compel tho Republicans tc accept or reject the proposition offered. m If they accepted it would remove tho issue from politics, nermit the consideration of pressing domestic Problems, quicken the world's progress towards peace and win the undying gratitude of he who cry out against the cruel program of the mmtarists who would build a peace on terror- ism ' If the Republicans rejected tho plan they would forfeit the support of a large part o the r Trtvi-the part that follows cense enee and is nS untrue to the vision of better things Such a plan cannot be considered a rejection ,7fiS the President stands for; on the Sv U if a viid cation of the greatest pur contrarj, it is a vm thQ pose he V!.. and jt opens a way . .'world f f.e;mrC,rngythe remainder ot his ", KgX Zl A opened in regular wym Jt of on. coated to unloose any lurking thusiasm. The IiaSJ when a large-sized Spangled Banner s unveiled, the con picture of etfidtOT0pportunity to give vent vention had its first gw tration meted for to its feelings. The aemo hfth.the deie some twenty mtort aiGm carrying '-the 1 v ) ChaiI9' a,8 ' ronc.w$cl When Temporary ' Mr. Cummlngs speech was well received and it embodfod as such a speech should, a review o Democratic achlevemcnta-not a complete rZ ntnh'n m' B,n?!,,arl omitted H reference to ' pron bitlon tho greatest party achlovemoni to hlch our party can lay claim. It would soom impossible wero it not actually true that any Democrat larco enough tn hn Mnai,i,i ... - keynote spoech could bo terrorized Into sflonae' u ,, tr,ends oi the saloon oven aftcsT"" i ttio liquor traffic has been 'barred by constltu- tional amendment, and tlfat amendment on- ' - forced by criminal law sustained In cvory tOT- sped by tho supremo court of tho land. Aadf'1 yet there are some who think that tho question v should be avoided on tho theory that it la dead. "f When did a corpse ever boforo possess H'ich a- powor to frighten? If tho avoidance of the uu- - ; jeet Is duo to pdlltlcal expediency, what an Irt- u dictmont of the defenders of tho homo that their '' ' zeaj siiouid so little impress politicians; But uiairman Cummlngs halls from ono of the three ' ' states that failed to ratify, and a rocont c6hvea- a1 tion in his state declared for wine and beftrT'Ifce'" i may have thoughtlessly mistaken this 'for '&"', state convention. Tho delegates from thore- 0 maining forty-Hve stales mny repair the harni lie has done by adopting a dry plank congratulatlnif tho party on Its honorable part In thlo tfroat''-' moral victory. - n-.ij( ' - W ImS . TvTr fimniinril la linen xn.1 vitttt Iniilittj.on f. ,,w,"l""u '" "w tutu ,! UUUMMV" W heard by th0 resolutions committee, ity in pflt,' likely to havo nny difllcully in securing a rocoKul- ,.. tion for all tho rights of labor for things VtPWHl u uiuuiuui i;unvuniivji uom iimL which,, ppfteny ',fJvS bled- In Chicago three wcpJck ago. I oUli afic. u4 the committee to lucludo'ln' the platform a p'roj it vision for a permanojit Investigating .cpnimg-,,',;; sion with a view to sottllng Industrial Idiu'toa before they roach tho strike or lockout g&go. ,Allf present the third party, as tho public r.cems te be ignored, and yet it in tho public that furnishes, M the money for both employer and employe, Tho',.r' need for somo such plan vwn.s-forcibly cmnha- ,vv -sized last fail when a strike' threatened (, cIpo'M tho coal mines JuKt boforo tho beginning. qt win- y ter. The m'no workers numbered between five f and six hundred thousand, and tho number 6J1 r stockholders In tho mines could not iavQ;, amounted tj many hundred thousa'ndv hft n most extravigant estimate would not put tho, , , number of nKii interested on both sides fit moro than a million. , Counting flvo person, 'to at , family, not more than five million mcnwomcjnu, , p and children could havo been directly Interested, (( in the controversy, and yet it looked for awhlV . as if the remaining .05,000,000 of our people. ,,' would have to freeze while tlie dlsputo was be-(;.-ing adjusted. Bolleving that compulsory arbl,-. tration is not compatible with American ideas." ' but that tho public has a right to know VSii1 facts in any dispute that affects the gon'erat J" ' Avelfare, I shall submit for tho conslderatieri of J' tho committee a very simple plan which Ipidenti- cal in its genoral provisions with tho trfcaty'plarf ?! embodied In-thirty treaties with thrco-qtiarlers "V of tho world and afterwards made the currier- fu ; stone of the League of Nations. Even boforo l-' ' Mieeo.9io.i It for international disputes I en- deavored to have it applied to industrial dis putes. It contemplates a permanent hoard of three members, ono chosen from tho classes as sumed to be in sympathy with the employer, one from tho classes supposed to bo in sympathy with the employe, and tho third selected with a view to find a person as nearly Impartial as possible. 5 This commislon should have authority to investi gate an industrial dispute at tho request of 'either side or upon Its own initiative, In ech dispute two "members would be added to the -commission, one chosen by each sido In ordeY that each side might be sure to havo a repre sentative on tho commission. The report of tho commission would not bo binding on cither side, 'but would bo 'a guide to public opinion. Such a commission would not make strikes impos sible, but the fact that such an investigation , could be made would go far toward compelling conciliation and tho establishment of such A means of adjusting disputes would reduce to a minimum the inflaming of prejudice, just as a peaceful means of setting international dis putes Is calculated to lessen the partisan propa ganda that In Itself1 increases the probability of a ; of a conflict. Is it not worth while to keep In mind Justfc TV V'l ,, H . fH. , nw. r wXM . M -a