The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-02-18
TWO SENATOR'S.

TWO SENATORS.
Both of the United State senators
from New York are resisting the
passage of the Ship-Purchase bill
One of them is republican and the
other calls himself democrat, but
both are using all their influence to
defeat the bill.
Senator Roots position is easy to
understand He is an old-fashioned,
reactionary republican who believes
that the rights of property in the
long run are paramount. He is IN
favor of extortionate tariffs, because
extortionate tariffs swell property
profits. He is in favor of subsidies
and special privileges and monopol-
les, because subsidies and privileges
and monopolies are good for the
property that enjoys them. Senator
Root is sincere in this. He would
gladly vote to take 3O,000,000 out
of the national treasury and give it
to private ship owners. He shrinks
in horror from the suggestion that
the government buy ships for itself
with this $30,OOO,0O0 and operate
these ships for the general good of
the country.
The senator is for federalism when
property wants federalism. He is for
state rights when property wants
state rights But at all times he is
consistent and logical and highly in
telligent When he speaks against
the administration ship-purchase bill
we know he does SO because such an
1~iY in hot h N 1c tcfo fn
socialism" would be fatal for the
marine property interests that have
been trying for years to get a sub
sidy out of the American people.
Senator O'Gorman's case is not SO
simple. Here is man who began
his political career as Henry
George democrat, but who went over
to Tammany Hall at the first oppor-
tunity, who was appointed to the
bench by Boss Croker, who was APP
pointed to the senate by Boss Muir
ply, and who then tells us that he
is fighting this bill to preserve his
political independence" AS this
eminent beneficiary of Tammany
bossism puts it, Il shall never in a
matter of principle allow caucus or
conference or a group Of men to
tell me how | must vote" Yet most
of his life Senator O'Gorman as a
member of Tammany Hall has been
letting men like Croker and Murphy
tell him how to vote, and voting the
way they told him.
Whatever reasons Senator OGor-
man may have for betraying his
democratic colleagues in the senate
and joining the ship-subsidy repub-
licans to beat this bill, we may be
sure that the reasons stated in his
speech are not the real ones.
A loyal member of Tammany Hall
for twenty years is not likely to be
very squeamish about caucus dicta-
ton. He has been trained in a
school of government which not only
prescribes One-man dictation but
which also prescribes one-man dicta-
ton OF the caucus. During a life
devoted chiefly to politics and Office
holding, Senator O'Gorman never
suspected that President Wilson was
a dictator or that he himself was a
victim of caucus oppression until the
president differed with him about
certain federal appointments in this
state. Then the senator suddenly
discovered that senatorial caucus
had no right to tell me that | must
be recreant to my own solemn obi
cation to 100000 people,"
2 The World is always interested in
statesmen who confess solemn OBJ
LEGATION to 100000 people, and it
is curious to know the nature of this
solemn obligation. Do we under
stand Senator O'Gorman to mean
that he has consulted with the 49,
100000 people of this state, and
found them unanimously opposed to
the ship-purchase bill? Has he as
certained that these 100000 peo-
pie will be satisfied with nothing
less than an opportunity to pay addi-
tional taxes in the form of ship sub
sides? Is he confident that his 1O,-
100000 constituents are so welded
to the principle of thing thing-to-
that he would be trail
tor to them if he faltered in his trea-
son to the administration?
4 We should like to know something
about Senator O'Gorman's creden-
tials in this contest We understand
Senator Roots position and are not
respect for his rugged con-
sistency Moreover, Root does not
pretend to be acting under solemn
obligation to 100000 people.
When Senator O'Gorman consecrates
himself to such a trust, we have
right to ask him to produce his
papers. New York World.