Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-19
Press Comment

Press Comment
Clinton Herald: A Council Bluffs
man suggests that the republican par
ty should have reconciliation party
in 1916, by having the successful presi-
dental nominee appoint Taft to the
supreme court and Roosevelt as am
bassador to England, France or Ger
many. If the colonel is to go into the
diplomatic service, he should be sent
to some country that he can lick single
handed. The United States isn't going
to send an army to back him up.
Davenport Times: Senator Owen
of Oklahoma appeared here in a lee
ture last week giving voice to a prop
uganda of discomfort based on conjec-
ture, of distrust founded on half
truths, of suspicion sustained by pre-
JUDGE, of confusion developed by in
consistency, and error the result of in
accuracy.
1t is purely conjecture that panics
are deliberately created by the So
called money trust, or that wars are
produced by manufacturers who want
to sell munitions of war.
It is but a half truth that the civil
war was the result of the supreme
courts bred Scott decision and the
inability of the people to recall that
decision or the court. 1t is a half
truth that Lincoln with a number of
democrats created the republican
party.
The inference from his talk that
men with money are necessarily not
patriotic and his declaration that fed
eral judges always decide in favor of
corporations were merely appeals to
prejudice.
Senator Owen was Inconsistent
when at one time he declared the vote
of the people is the political cure-all
and at another time asserted that cor
porations can and do pull the wires
to make the people vote as the cor
porate interests desire. He was in
consistent when he asserted that three
minorities, in the house, the senate,
and the legislatures of the states,
stand in the way Of amending the
constitution, and when he asserted
that if the people really desire a
thing done they can force their rep
resentatives to do it.
Inaccuracies were numerous in his
lecture, as for example, when he said
the supreme court members, being
appointed for life, cannot be gotten
rid of if they turn out to be bad men.
He ignored impeachment altogether.
He was again absolutely in error when
he said the so-called money trust con-
trolls the Associated Press. The Asso-
ciated Press is made up of nearly a
thousand members scattered in all the
states and representing all sorts of
political beliefs. There must be fair
play and accuracy in handling the
news. If there were not large num-
Der of the members would reject the
service.
These are just few of the large
number of half baked ideas presented
during the course of his evenings lee
ture. Senator Owen is presumed to
be one OF the leaders of the majority
in the senate If his address here
is an example Of the kind of illog-
ical thinking that is directing the
work of the present admtnfstra-
ton, heaven help the country. His
address here would have been mere
ly amusing if it were not SO serious
a matter to have a man holding such
a high office going up and down the
country preaching a gospel of despair
that, carried to its logical conclusion,
could lead only to revolution.
Davenport Times: Strange, isn't it,
how all these ships that are sunk,
British or German, are ''old
and Of little value" for purposes Of
war? And yet they were considered
good enough to be in commission.
Burlington Hawk-Eye: It Is quite
evident the hoof and mouth disease
is no respecter of cattle. The pie
bian steer with burrs in it's tail and
a wild look in it's eye has the same
chance as the blue-blooded, prize
Jersey bull.
Mason City Globe Gazette: A Bra
lillian newspaper says American CAPT
tai ia timid 1t is 1t is afraid to go
out to do battle for business in for
eign countries for fear it will be at