The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1916-05-11
ROYAL c. JOHNSON'S
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD

On the sixth day of December. 1915.
took the oath of office as a Repre.
sentative in Congress, with the hone
of fairly representating the wishes of
the electors of the second district of
South Dakota. and with the knowledge
that If | did not fairly represent the
voters Of that district | would be sue
coded by some one who would Tn
TO and including January s. 1916. S65l
bills and resolutions had been intro
duced in the House, while had voted
hut three times on matters involving
legislation of legislative policy. | was
present at every session and but three
llGlslatlVc questions were presented
Tor vote On January eighth, i'm spite
OF the fact that it had been impossible
for me to either represent or misre-
present the voters of the second dis
trict an opponent to my renomina-
ton announced himself No one has
a mortgage on any political office. but
1t has seemed to me that should be-
gwen chance to make some kind of
record and cast more than three
votes on public questions before "A
change should be made. 1t is plain
that opposition to me cannot and is
not based on any record, but that my
opponent simply desires to hold office.
SO far as have been able to deter,
mine, we agree on the matter Of rural
credits, child labor, federal aid for
good roads, pension matters, and other
Legislative question SO far presented.
except the question Of preparedness.
| voted for the passage Of the Hay
Bill. as did every other member of the
House, pacifist or militarist except
two. ! believe in reasonable degree
OF preparedness. At the present time
the United States has three aeroplanes
In service. The Mexican campaign
has demonstrated the fact that we
ehould have many more. In 1914
France had 1400 and Russia 500. In
1915. in test Of submarines, the
United States had but one submarine
that would dive. In my opinion, our
coast defenses require the building
OF many more. Forty per cent of the
ships OF the American Navy are either
not properly equipped for service or
are insufflciently manned. We need
greater efficiency, more transports,
and navy that will give an adequate
first line Of defense. My opponent
states that he would call halt on fur
ther expansion of the navy and army,
and states that If this nation in the
slightest degree increases its army or
navy IL will. III it does not repent, be
Overtaken sooner or later by the same
divine wrath that shattered Babylon
to pieces and hurled Rome from a
throne that was supposed to eternal"
do not believe that the army and
navy should be disbanded, and can
not agree with my opponent that we
ought not to have at least a sufficient
number of men In the American army
to successfully oppose the Mexican
bandits who are making a practice Of
invading the United States, and have
contracted the habit Of numbering our
citizens. radically disagree with the
Mexican policy Of the present admin
istration, If in fact it can be said to
have had any, and believe that firm
policy adopted at the beginning Of the
present administration would have OBJ
Waited many Of the difficulties with
which we are now confronted. ! do
not believe that the foreign policy of
the present administration, II it can
be said to have one, will be sustain
ed by the American people. In one
breath, the President has opposed pre-
paredness. in the next advocated
policy that calls for the greatest navy
on earth, and at the present time TO
Cne knows what policy he does advo-