Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-23

ernment." he asked, than to have the
head Of the nation speaking, to the
whole country, asserting that those
who disagreed with him are misled,
ignorant, self-assertive and misrepre-
sentative?- No President in our, re-
cent history has had such support on
strictly administrative matters frop,
opposition senators as the present in
cumbent Of the White House
Whether one agrees with his public
utterancesi since President Wilson took
the oath of Office" said Mr.. Weeks, 1T
nass be omit that he has displayed
dfanapohs Speech and it continues to be
an, increased cause of Wonderment to
the people Of this country, II the press
how the President could have so far
lapsed as to go to the other extreme by
undulging not only in questionable taste
but the unfounded Statements with
which his whole address is filed. He
| refers with words of praise to the indie
pendent which, il it means anything. is
the man who thinks for himself and who
on public questions which are honest, If
not sound, but in the very next breath
ne attacks in bitter way those who are
| opposed to legislative measure -unpre-
cedented in it's character in the legisla-
tive annals of the world. Before any
| new idea Of such character is TO be put
on the statute books. it should have pub
lie sanction and approval. The President
assumes it has this approval but his
statement is a mere assumption not in
any way borne out by the facts. 4 want
he was stating fact which is without
question, but If that be true the charge
made that he seldom seeks advice but
comes to his own conclusions and be-
l1eves that they are public sentiment, is
an explanation of his statement in this
| case
THE way to determine whether this
legislat ton is at all in accord with public
desire is to thoroughly discuss it and, as
result of that discussion, senators and
representatives will be sure to hear from
their constituents whether or not the bill
has the approval Of those thinking peo-
pie WHO have an opportunity to give it
any suitable consideration. This process
is sometimes a long one but in this case,
is new. is entirely outside our experience
and the experience Of other nations,
there is no other course to follow for
those who doubt its effectiveness, who
hesitate at the dangers of complication
with other nations which it may involve,
those who believe that. it is economically
unsound and unwise. than to give it such
may understand what it actually means
and the results which will come from
its passage.
"As one of those opposed to this iegis-
| lation, / deprecate the President y decla-
ration not because 1 have any desire to
oppose the legislation which originates
| with an Administration with which | am
| have many other opposition senators, al
ready shown my independence on that
subject; indeed, it may be said that no
| President in our recent history has had
| nah c%t int1 .J,,,ip
tive matters from opposition senators as
| has the present incumbent of the White
HOUSE, and in one case, that of the tolls
| been obtained if it had not been for the
assistance of some of those senators who
are now being attacked by him because
they are going to vigorously oppose this
| measure ! believe that there are the
| possibilities of the grarest international
complications involved in the passage of
this bill: that il it passed it would be in
effective, utterly failing to carry out the
wishes of it's sponsors; that it is eco
nomically unsound, ill-advised and dan
gerous; that the sentiment in its favor
among those who have given it consider
alton in or out of Congress is almost
negligible; that if it is passed by this Con-
gress or any other Congress it would be
done not because those who vote for it,
generally speaking. favor the legislation
but as a result Of the most fagrant, poll
tical pressure. and, speaking for myself
| consider it duty. which l am going
to perform. to throw every possible OBJ
stacle in the way of its passage by dis
| cussing not only the objections which |
have just named, but every other phase
of the question involved In establishing
! Il suitable merchant marine. This can
not be done by me in an hour or in a
! day. l want to have what | have to
say, feeble and ineffective as it may be,
given a chance to reach those who should
be Informed on the subject and as the
first phase of this discussion l am going
to take up today the. Presidents state
ment that the minority in the Senate,
which may prove to be a majority when
the vote is taken. are seeking to defy
| the nation and his intmation that the
public is demanding the passage of the
| BILL
Senator Weeks is undoubtedly one
of the ablest men in the U. S. Senate,
or the country for the matter of that.
He could never be guilty of such ut
terances as found scattered through
the Indianapolis speech of President
Wilson. Just imagine, if you can,
such as the following coming from
the lips Of Lincoln, Mckinley, Ding
ley, Senator Weeks or Grover Cleve-
land:
"The trouble with the Republican party
is that it has not had a new idea for 30
years. . . They have, had leaders
from time to time who suggested new
ideas. but they never did anything to
carry them out l suppose there was no
harm in their talking. provided they
could not do anything"
Pastor Praises Press.
President Wilson may have no re-
spect whatever for the opinions Of
the men who speak for the public, yet
as Senator Weeks, Henry Waiter
son and others have pointed out, ne
would make fewer blunders if he
read and needed the suggestions Of
the newspaper editors of this country.
Perhaps it was only coincidence thai:
the Rev. DR.. A. Eugene Bartlett, pas
tor Of All Souls church In Brooklyn,
| preached a sermon in which he ma ID