Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-25
The Presidents Way at Any Cost.

with the season. Voices of protest
have been laundering in from the
country. Business men want Con-
gress to adjourn. They are tired of
legislative interference. Chambers Of
commerce, boards of trade and in
dividual firms have been expressing
themselves with great frankness to the
President and others in authority.
The President says much of this COM
plant is "trumped up in an effort to
defeat the antitrust legislation.
| Therefore 1t is that the President
has turned deaf .sar. The business
men assert that depression is preva-
lent. The President says all this is
psychological. His secretary OF
commerce, Mr.. Redfeld, declares that
business Is improving. Big crops are
ahead and will bring bumper pros
perity. whether the calamity howlers
want it or no. The cabinet, now and
then, celebrates gravely over the
state of prosperity and its members
try to cheer up. Out among the rank
and file of Democratic officials at
| Washington, all the while. there pre-
walls great alarm at conditions which
promise to prevent numerous repre-
sentatives from getting reelected this
year.
~ cnnfrnVcPExT
splendid but in the midst of IL all
President Wilson gives the word to
go ahead" He refuses TO be de-
tered by lugubrations. If the coun-
try is going to the bowwows under his
administration, the President braves
the consequences. He must have anti
trust legislation and will not permit
Congress to quit till he gets it.
The digust. even among some
Democrats, is deep and strong Speak
err Champ Clark does not approve.
Majority Leader Underwood does not
approve. It does not matter so much
TO Mr.. Underwood, for he goes soon to
the Senate for a six years term. But
Speaker Clark would like three terms
in the presiding officers chair. He is
now serving his second term. Unless
Democratic House can be reelected,
this will be Mr.. Clark's last term as
Speaker. The prospect is not at all
cheering to him. Mr.. Clark will go
upon the stump this autumn in many
close districts, speaking and exhorting
for the Democratic candidates. 1t
looked like something easy few
months ago; now it looks like one of
the hardest uphill battles Democrats
ever had, to retain control of one of the
legislative branches of the govern
ment. Perplexity increases just now
because members of the House will not
stay in town. Primaries are on in
their districts. They want to be
looking after matters in person. 1t is
difficult to keep enough members in
town to make a quorum.
Foreign policies are giving the
President a good share of his many
troubles. Just as soon as the Pan
anna Canal tolls exemption repeal bill
was through the Senate, the admins
tration began TO press for the ratifica-
ton of pending treaties. Secretary
of State Bryan sought the foreign re-
lations committee to urge that
treaty with Columbia. apologizing for
the Panama revolution and the ac-
QUESTION Of the canal strip and alike
proposing to pay Columbia $4,000, 900
for damages, be accepted He also
wanted the Senate right away to dis
pose of a treaty with Nicaragua by
that country, pay ss.ooooo for canal
right of way and also for naval sta
tons at islands near the Nicaragua
coast.
Democratic officials have been quite
taken off their feet by the opposition
to both those treaties. 1t has been
proposed right off to investigate the
relations between the proposed
Nicaragua payment and certain New
York bankers who have been super
vising financial affairs in the little
Central American republic. But sue
cessful as the President has been with
legislative measures. ii begins to look
as though he would find the Senate
very obdurate about these two treaties.
Such instruments must have two
thirds vote for ratification. The SEN
ate now has a complete membership
of 90, for the first time in a couple Of
years, there being no vacancies from
death or failures to elect. Two
thirds of that number is 81, where the
total Democratic membership is only
So. Consequently II Republican votes
are indispensable to the ratification Of
any treaty. Just now II is not APP
Su OF