The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-02-26
members of congress feel that they
must give 1t consideration.


Preparedness and Rural Voter.
President Wilson, 1t is said Dy nls
friends, is sorry that he could NOT
carry his preparedness campaign OF
speech-making right into the heart Oh
the country. districts. Mr.. wilson
knows that the agricultural districts
have the opportunity to read MS
speeches, but he feels, so his inti-
mates say, that the spoken appeal Is
much more likely to have its erect
than the written appeal.
There seems to be a belief in ad-
ministration circles that the residents
of the big towns generally are in faVor
of defense preparation, while the OPP
position has it's habitat largely In the
country districts. This may not be
true. but nevertheless it seemingly Is
the view taken by most public men
who are constantly in receipt OF let
tiers from home.
Not Partisan Issue.
II must be understood that prepar-
edness is not wholly partisan issue.
The Democrats are divided on 1t, ana
so are the Republicans. The presi-
dent has made a direct appeal that
political considerations be disregard
ed by members of congress and that
preparedness be looked upon wholly
as a question of patriotism. II the
people of the agricultural districts are
opposed to preparedness, the presi-
dent probably thought that he might
be able to win them over by word OF
mouth appeal If they are not OPP
posed to 1t, 1t is his desire that the
jewellers on the farms and in the vii
lagos and smaller cities shall write to
their members of congress, urging
them to stand by the administration
| program.
II has often been said that the let
ter-writing lobby is the best kind OF
a lobby, and it certainly is perfectly
proper kind of one. Congress could
learn in a week the actual views OF
majority of the people of the United
States on the subject Of preparedness
IL community meetings were to be
held here and there to discuss the
subject, and the results OF the con-
ferences could be telegraphed to the
congressman representing the differ
ent districts.
Peace Folks Very Busy.
There are men in Washington who
are doing their level best to induce
congressman to believe that all the
country jewellers in the land are op'
posed to preparedness. Students OF
the situation say that this is not true
by even a third part. At any rate
the matter seems to be in doubt. and
so it is possible that some representa-
tives in congress, thinking that they
. should vote as their constituents want
, them to vote, may in the absence Of
: direct news, vote counter to the
, wishes of the voters who sent them
: to the national legislature.
, There Is in Washington what II
a called an anti-preparedness commit
: tee. II is composed of laymen, large
I " of the class known as pacifists, ant
/. it is working as hard as 1t knows hov
to prevent the passage of prepared
!, ness measures by congress. Thi
!, committee has sent already thousand
= upon thousands of appeals to farmer
:. throughout the land, asking them t
;, protest against any legislative actiol
= looking to the putting of this countr
a into a state of defense.
D. Sentiment for Defense.
n There is no telling as yet what tn
q results of these appeals will be, b
4 cause time enough has not elapse
\. to have this campaign make itse
q felt, but there are preparedness fol
D. here who say that the appeals wi
II fall largely on deaf ears and that NOR
than half of the men who are bein
n urged to write their congressman
ia opposition to preparedness actual
n will write them in favor Of it.
u Returns already are beginning
"a come in from the middle West as tn
n. result of the presidents last tri
AZ through the country. There seems
20 be a wide difference of opinion as
3 the result of the trip. Curiously enoug
,v men seem to view the thing with pa
"a tisan and prejudiced eyes. Repub
re- cans largely say that the trip was NJ
a. a success, while the Democrats 81
IN It was a huge success. There is pro
,e ably one man in the United Stat
who knows definitely whether the tr
was a success or not, and that man
Woodrow Wilson. All public speake
ne say that as a result of their experien
70 they know when a speech is end
Al wheher or not their appeals to the
70 audience have struck home.
ne At any rate, today everything is mo
OIL or less problematical. The count
III will know whether it is to have ad
re quate preparedness or not when Z
81 two measures have been voted on
% congress.
To- Fifty-Flve Years to Flower.
Certain species of bamboo flow