Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-03-07
Lodge, Borah, Suther-
land and Others Stood
with the President
WILSON'S ENEMIES
IN HIS OWN PARTY
How They Have Played Politics
with a Critical Situation and
Vented Their Spleen on the
Chief xecutive-Hearst,
Clark, Bryan and Their Game

washington, d. G., March 6-(Spe-
c1al).-Men may be excused this polit-
lcal year for cutting a political dido
now and then, but there is nothing in
that to compare with the great Demo-
cratic circus at Washington. The last
lew days have demonstrated it conclu-
slvely. Perhaps President Wilson could
have struggled through the amazing
situation somehow with only the sup
port of his Democratic Congressmen
IN the Senate and the House. And vet.
now he could have done it is not quite
clear. From all one can judge, his own
party would have f1oored him and de-
stroyed itself.
The proceedings rave demonstrated
how wisely the fathers were when
they placed the control of foreign re-
lations in the President. 1t is impera
tive there should be cne head, who can
conduct negotiations and assume the
responsibility for policies The proceed :
ings have also demonstrated how very
important it is to have senators and
other congressional leaders of a cali
Der to confer with the President and
obtain from the President.
Congress, in a measure. shares re-
sponsibility about foreign relations.
The Senate, for example, must ratify
treaties which the President negotiates,
before these treaties can go into ef-
feet. A President can easily commit
the nation to war, if he is willing to
go that far, but the Constitution never
theless provides that Congress alone
can vote war. Both the House and the
Senate must vote appropriations to
meet expenses. regular and exception
al, that grow out of foreign relations.
| However, after all is said, it belongs
specifically to the President to take up
such questions as the protection OF
American citizens in their rights to
travel upon merchantmen that are
armed for defense against submarines
a few congressman. chiefly Demo-
Gratis, who for one motive or another
are supposed to sympathiZe with Ger
many. have been crying out against
the Presidents efforts to bring Ger
many to terms. They have been nag
ging him in season and out of season
There are several metropolitan news
papers aiding the crusade.
| Presidents Democratic Enemies
A Democratic faction, that stands
| forth in Hearst, Speaker Clark and a
few other malcontents, is responsible
for the audacious effort to discredit
President Wilson by demonstrating
disaffection in the Senate and the
House. Heretofore. this opposition
within the party has shown itself by
occa sional ''booms'' for Speaker Clark
for President, by "rumors' That the
President would not accept another
nominatio and like political non
sense.
/ This is the same old political organ
ization which made a great and almos'
successful political drive for speaker
Clark at Baltimore The head men ir
that movement are quite generally the
head men in the present moVemeh,
Strangely enough they are voicing sen
| timents with which William }. Bryan
| is in full accord, to the effect that Am
erican citizens should not take the haz'
ard of travel upon merchant snlps OF
belligerents. which these ships are
armed for defense. Mr.. Bryan believes
in that to ct" but Mr.. Bryan is the
man who put the Hearstites and the
| Clarkites out of business at Baltimore
| But for him. it is claimed. Clark woulo
have been nominated Tor President
Some say that Clark's election woulc
| have followed but it is rash, II no'
an unvarranted conclusion. Clark, il
/ is believed by those who should know
! would have been a very vulnerable can
I didate. There would have been quite
another political alignment Throughout
the country and. perhaps. Theodore
Roosevelt, might have been voted E
third term.
! The Hearst Clark faction has never
become reconciled to the verdict al Bal
timore. Speaker Clark has acquiescet
more becomingly in recent months and