The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-11-20
OUR Ex.PRESDENTS

Mary Roberts Rinehart, we'll
known writer, in newspaper arti-
Gle advocates senatorial advisory
committee OF our ex-presidents. She
also advocates a six-year presiden-
tial term and no reelection.
She advocates the appointing Of
the ex-presidents to the senate for
life at salaries commensurate with
their ex-officio positions. there to
form a non-partisan committee.
They have served their parties,
writes Mary Roberts Rinehart: let
them now serve their country:
Her article in part follows:
The non-partisan committee would
today consist OF William Howard
Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, two
big men, trained as only the execu-
tive position Of our government can
train. When. at the end OF his sec
ond term. Woodrow Wilson leaves
the White House. he will carry away
with him such knowledge Of foreign
evasion and strategy as probably no
other president ever possessed. 1t is
not matter OF record, this knowl-
edge. No one who knows Europe
believes that she has put, or will put.
her most significant declarations on
paper. Approve OF his methods or
not. as we may. the full and secret
knowledge OF our relations to the
countries at war. and their relations
to US, Is locked in Mr.. Wilson's breast
Yet we shall retire him from the
country's service as we retired Roose-
welt and Taft. We have paid high
for the things he knows, for his ex.
perienCe. for his errors. The Wood
row Wilson OF today is not the ideal
ist who entered the White House
four years ago. He Is trained and
practical diplomat. il not a states
man. In four years more he will
have such training in international
relations as no other man in America
has ever had. Yet, by our policy of
waste. we will retire him to private
life and muzzle him by an absurd
system OF ethics.
The Theodore Roosevelt who built
the Panama canal was not the Roose-
welt OF San Juan hill-although he
will maintain that he Is. Yet today
we are content to let our greatest
American thunder jeremaids through
the press. because all we have left to
him is a voice. The country needs,
and will need as long as he lives. the
courage, the acumen and the red
blooded patriotism of Theodore
evelt--Roosevelt. the patriot.
not Roosevelt the Republican.
William Howard Taft-virtually
impeached at the. end of his first
term through no fault of his own
is Mr.. Taft to be lost to us? Is he
to be permanently retired to private
life after four years. while loud
mOuthed legislators Of a twentieth
his experience and intelligence con-
troll the senate and the house. and
roar perennially with the noise of
shallow waters?
In almost any country of Europe
William Howard Taft and Theodore
Roosevelt would be serving the coun-
try at large. putting their ripe ex-
perience, their diplomatic informa-
ton. their knowledge of men and af-
fairs. at the disposal of their gov
eminent.
Why not, then, use our ex-presi.
dents by making them lifelong mem
bers Of the senate, non-partisan. on
salaries commensurate with the dig.
nifty Of their positions? Do you be-
lieve that the non-partisan clause
is impossible? Is Roosevelt a great
er Republican that he Is an Amer.
lean? Or Taft? Do you put your
party before your country?