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A fotl Omission
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On anotherpage Will ba found an interview
which Mr.Hryan ave to the public from a sick
bod in March ,-.14491 Several of the chafes sug
gested therehinvere made in the covenant before
it final submissiba to the Senate, but the Presi
dent, while:iadoptiiig in the main the plan of the
thirty treaties; omitted one very important pro
vision, namely-tthat THE NATIONS-RESERVE
THE RIGHT OF -INDEPENDENT ACTION AT
THE CONCISION OF INVESTIGATION Had
he inserted tlflg provision in the covenant, the
... treaty would have been ratified, and we would
be now doing our part in the amicable adjust
ment of international differences, but Instead of
including this provision, essential to any attempt
to investigate ALL - international disputos, he
insisted uponan obligation that would; to the
extent it had lvalue, abrogate the right of con
gress to act freely on the subiect of war
Relying, upon, the right of the American con
gress to decide.- questions of war in spite of such
a moral obligation, advocates of peace, including
myself, favored the IMMEDIATE RATIFICA
TION ot- the. treaty WITHOUT reservations,
postponing" until after ratification such changes
as mightbe necessary, but there never has been
a time wberi "any considerable - fraction of the
American', people would delegate to any foreign
body the right to determine when our nation
Bhould enter war. When it became apparent
that ratification, without reservations was im
possible, the most earnest friends of the .league
were willing to accept any reservations neces
sary to secure-ratification but the President re
fused to accept the reservations FAVORED BY
A MAJORITY OF 18 IN THE SENATE and de
manded SOLEMN REFERENDUM.
P. S. We have, had the referendum. ' . .
W. J. BRYAN..
'. -
5 BRYAN ON LANDSLIDE
(Interview in the Pittsburg Pros', Nov, 8) ,
"$"cp5k thstt the nation has decided :ln".favor
of Hardingfo idea of an association of nations,"
Mr. Bryan declared, "I THINK ALL FRIENDS
OF WORLD PEACE SHOULD SUPPORT THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT AND HASTEN, SO FAR
AS POSSIBLE, THE NATION'S ENTRANCE
INTO SUCH A LEAGUE" OR ASSOCIATION
AS IS AGREED' UPON. THAT IS THE PUR
POSE OF MY SUGGESTION AS TO MR. WIL
SON'S RETIREMENT.
"There is no reason why this step should not
be carried out at once, and there is a constitu
tional way in which it could be done, through
Mr. Marshall's succession and his resignation,
after appointing ,Mr, Harding to the portfolio
of state. THIS. SUGGESTION HAS BEEN AT
TACKED" AS IF IT WERE UNFRIENDLY TO
THE PRESIDENT, WHEREAS NO KINDLIER
SUGGESTION HAS BEEN MADE OR WILL BE
MADE, IT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION
HIS PHYSICAL WELFARE, HIS PEACE OF
MIND AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE
CAUSE OF 'PEACE, WHICH, IS THE SUBJECT
HE HAS - MOST AT HEARTr NO ENEMY
COULD WISH.: HIM A W.ORSE FATE THAN
THAT HE WEAR HIMSELF OUT IN A FUTILE
FIGHT OJF, THREE MONTHS WITH A CON
GRESS ALREADY HOSTILE AND MADE
MORE HOSTILE BY POPULAR INDORSE
MENT," ",,'"
Of his personal view on Article X he said, "I
think the constitutional right of congress to de
clare war orJiot to declare war should not
be suspended? or the independence of congress
ombarrassed.Crticle X would have embarrassed
congress insofar -as, it had any weight at all.
I favored, ratification without reservations as
long as 'it seemed -possible not because I ap
proved of Article 'X,, but because I thought it
would be better &f change it atter ratification
Hum to delay ratification for the purpose of
adding qualifying clauses."
The Republicans' victory does not indicate
their permanent supremacy, Mr. Bryan be
lieved. 'Thb people -were 'mad' at theadmin
stration and 'threw , the first thing they could
toy hands onNw&icli happened to be the Re
Publican organisation," he said. "However,
"ley will be just ,as ready to' cast .out the Re
Publicans in fouru-yeara if they fail to live up to
N their opportuniflfe
A stormy ';way lies before tbe Republicans
elected. Mr.?Rvlhi,.hninf.ftri'nnt,.- "Their ma jor-
nu;l'orhourittl':8 d "?..ot votes oa.t by
be hard in "vur wuoao demands will
tions wl t ejmecljtly on economic quo
SSuiro n a? 1 ! t0 bo raIsod Th, wold
taxes 3 T Cont ,ncr0QS0 ? other
"Why should the profiteers bo nicked on
and favored 6vor the other taxpayers?" m
mandsyit,(and controls the big papers?
- .i
r. A REVIEW OF THE FAST
f ?t iCni ttid.80me encouragement in a 'review
?5qa i nth,rty years ln Amrican politics. In
18 9 a the Democrats won a great victory, secur
ing the largest majority in congress that they
have had since the war. Four years later the
Republicans won a victory almost as groat, secur
ing the largest majority in congress that thoy
have had sinco 1872. .Then the Republicans
held undisputed power in the government for
Sixteen years, at the end of which time the Demo
crats elected a president, senate and house. Four
years laterthe Democratic lease ot power was
renewed. In 1918 the Republicans captured con
gress, and this was followed in 1920 by the
blizzard. These changes indicate the independ
ence of the American voter and the ability of
the people to change their officials when they de
sire to do so.
Unless tbo Republican administration meets
the expectations of the public, a Democratic
congress will be elected in 1922, and then if
the-Ropublicans do not heed the warning, it is
entirely "possible for a progressive democracy to
obtain control of the government in 1924.
Fortunately party ties are not as strong as they
used to be; the people think more of their po
litical health than theydcT of their family
physician. They will change parties whenever
they lose confidence in the party in power. The
only way to win success, therefore, is to deserve
it; let us hope that the Pemocrats will lay the
.foundation for an early return to power by offer
ing better remedies for existing evils than the
reactionary Republicans are likely to suggest.
W. J. BRYAN.
11
SEtiLING AT A FAIR PROFIT
On another page will be found an interesting
report of an experiment that is being tried in
the Chelsea district, New York City. Hudson
Guild, a public spirited citizen, In co-operation
with others of like spirit, is selling shoes at 10
per cent profit. Why don't others immortalize
themselves by a similar public service?
DRYS WIN IN OHIO
The Ohio enforcement law was endorsed at
the polls by 275,000 majority on November 2.
Some majority, isn't it? What a change from
last year when the enforcement law was nulll
.fied! Wonder if the Ohio democrats will send
any more wet delegations to national conven
tions?
WHY NOT HONOR MARSHALL?
If any vice-president was ever loyal to a presi
dent loyal even to a fault Marshall has been,
and he has been as completely ignored as the
other vice-presidents. It- is easy for the president
to reward him now, and at the same time re
lieve himself and advance a great cause.
OHIO BONE DRY
Columbus, O., November 11, 1920.The
Commoner; Harding's majority in Ohio is
about 380,000. His majority in Montgomery
county, Cox's home county is about 8,000. Cox
lost his former precinct and city of Middletown
bv nine votes. The Democratic candidate for
Governor in Ohio was. defeated by about 120,
000 In other words, the Democratic candidate
fdr 'Governor ran 240,000 votes ahead of Cox
in (his state. We now have 20, dry congress
men out of 22, and two dry U. S. senators.
Ou? legislature is dryer than, it has ever been.
oZ Enforcement Code, to enforce State Pro
hibition carried by 275,000 It is certainly a
glorious victory for the drys in Ohio.
5 Cordially yours,
- . A.DRY.
Helping the President
nrSilw0!; th0 V,10? FcPlftntio friends of the
?u?Jit In? Ind,not that anyone should
aSto vonSinat ihlH liT' "Won can
oarnod ih nLwVh? 8Un Mr. Bryan ha
oarned tho right to do so. Mr. Bryan helned to
nominate Mr. Wilson in 1912 and then ' hJlflJd
wiri"?1 ri ,nb M "Wy of state ho gm Sir.
.the heart of tho covenant." He helpoS to
elect a democratic congroga in 1914. l helped
b re-elect him in 1916 when tho proldont'i
S S oumpaIga ln th0 oast folIe He helped
L thi Jl Tnt,r: cl,,n(l the Pwrtdont dnr
hg the war. HQ trlod to help him to so write
SSiw0innntli .as lS ,nft!co ,tH rat,flcatlon certain.
WI1HOUT RESERVATIONS as long as that
Day 1920) to poreuado tho president to acdopt
the reservations NECESSARY TO IUTIFICA
liON. if the presidont had consented we would
now be In tho league of nations but- ho re
fused. At San Francisco Mr. Bryan proposed &
Plan that would havo corrected tho ralstako
which the president mado Iri rejecting reserva
tions and would havo restored to him the moral
leadership of tho world, but ho and his over
zoalouB worshippers Insisted on a solemn refer
endum. Now that tho president has led the
party to an unprecedented defeat Mr. Bryan pro
poses a plan by which tho president can retire
with honor, and at the same time promoto IN
THE ONLY WAY POSSIBLE tho peace in which
he' is so deeply Interested. And yet tho same
unwise friends who advised against accepting
the reservations and favored the referendum
cry out against resignation tho only creditable
way to escape from tho censure that he will call
forth if ho still further delays peace.
W. J. BRYAN.
Tins 1020 ELECTIONS
Harding and Coolldge, heading the republi
can national ticket for president and vice-presl
dent, were elected November 2 by the largest
popular plurality ever given candidates for that
office in the history of the country. The largest
previous plurality was Wilson's 2 million over
Roosevelt in 1912, when the republican vote was
divided. From present indications Harding!
plurality will bo in the neighborhood of 7 mil
lions, with some estimates fixing near 9 millions
when the returns are all ln. Harding and Cool
ldge carried 37 states with an electoral vote of
404, while Cox and Roosevelt carried 11 states
with an electoral vote of 127, which is consldpr
ably smaller than Parker's vote In 1904.
Harding and Coolldge carried every northern
and western state by unprecedented pluralities,
ranging from a million in New York to over
5,000 in South Dakota, and, in addition, invaded
the democratic states of Oklahoma, Tennessee,
Maryland and Missouri, and captured them with
substantial majorities. The states carried by '
Cox and Roosevelt were Alabama, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia,
The republican landslide swept in a majority
of 22 in the national senate and an overwhelm
ing majority In the house. In the house the re
publicans will have 302 members, the democrats
132, socialists 1.
Tho new congress will bo Iry by a large mar
gin in both senate and house. According to
the returns, of the 435 members of congress,
over 220 who had voted for the Volstead set
were re-elected. In addition, there were many
new members elected and former members who
did not vote who bave gone on record In this
campaign against the raising of the alcoholic
content of permitted beverages, or otherwise
weakening the enforcement law. In some cases
the republican avalanche carried down demo
crats who had supported the Volstead act, but
whose successors are also dry.
The newspapers announce that Governor Cox
and Tom Taggart have gone south together ok
a hunting trip. No intimation was 'given as (o
what they would hunt.
Governor Cox maynot have bjecn entirely ac
curate when he said that the Republicans stand
for the "Creed of Cain" but they certairily made
a killing on election day.
It takes some disaster to make the defeat o
1904, seem a victory by contrast.
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