Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-02-23
BREAK PARTY LINES
coNGREssMEN OF MANY MINDS
ON IMPORTANT QUESTION
OF PREPAREDNESS.
WILSON OPPOSED BY MANY
Republicans Do Not Think President
Goes Far Enough but Probably viii
Help Pass His Bill Through the
Lower House.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-What is to come out
of the muddle in congress on the sub
ject of preparedness, which, in sense,
is the prime legislative issue Of today?
Politicians here declare that pre-
paredness bill will pass both houses
and that in its provisions it will go as
far at least along the lines of prepare
ton as President Wilson has asked.
in his own party the president has
found many foes of preparedness in
house and senate. In the Republican
party ne also has found foes of any
kind of preparedness and he has found
more foes of the kind of preparedness
that he asks for.
In other words, 1t appears that most
of the Republicans would like to go
further than the president has asked,
that a few of them do not want to go
as far as he has asked, and that a ma
jority of Democrats are willing to go
TO the limit of administration sugges-
ton while a minority of Democrats do
not wish to have any preparation leg
islation at all.
This is the situation as It stands to-
day, but there are elements entering
into it which make for something very
much like chaos The preparedness
sill which is under consideration in
the senate committee is entirely I'M
like that which is before the house
committee. In the former the measure
looks to the formation of a continental
army of reserves. while in the house
committee the evident desire is to
build up the National Guard. More
over. the senate seemingly is willing
to go further in the matter Of the in
crease of the standing army than the
house IS willing to go.
House May Support Wilson.
Never perhaps in the history Of leg.
islation have there been so many vary
ing views within a dominant party as
10 what should be done in a matter OF
great moment and as to how it should
be done. The presidents tour through
the country on speechmaking bent was
undertaken primarily in behalf of his
preparedness measure. His intention,
OF course. was to get public opinion
back of him and to make it felt in
congress. When men and women
throughout the country begin TO write
letters or to send kilograms to their
senators ahd representatives asking
that certain things be done. the effect
sometimes is marked and it IS espe-
cially so il the urgent communications
come in large numbers.
As has been said there are some
Republicans who. with a good many
Democrats. do not want any prepared
ness at all II seemingly is likely.
however. that so far as the house ia
concerned the majority Of the Repub-
leans viii follow the house leader
who recently demanded quick and abb
snlute preparedness. II looks to the
Washington observers as if before the
preparedness measure can come TO
vote the Republicans viii speak in
behalf of something stronger than
that which the president has suggest
&c, but that when they find their own
views cannot avail they will join with
the Democrats in voting for the presi-
dents measures. Enough Republicans,
therefore. as it looks today, probably
viii join with the administration Dem
ocrats to put through such a bill as
the president has asked.
Later in the session. II is expected
the Republicans will say that the Dem.
ocratic preparedness legislation did
not go far enough and that they voted
for it because II they had not there
would have been no preparedness at
all. This, of course. can be said by
the Republicans only Il Il is shown
on the final vote that a sufficient mum.
Der of Democrats have voted against
preparedness to have caused its de-
feat in case it bad not been supported
by Republicans
Summing the thing up, the divisions
in congress over preparedness are
sharper and show less regard for
party lines than they have been In
connection with any prime matters OF
proposed legislation in recent years.
Big Bills That May Pass.
Out of both senate and house today
comes the prediction that the shipping
bill. the child labor bill, the tariff
commission bill and the rural credits
bill will pass congress at this session
and be signed by the president
The shipping bill. which was the
subject OF rancorous and at times al
most riotous debate in the senate last
year, presents itself today in a new
form. Largely II is Mr. McAdoo's
handiwork Claude Kitchin. the Dem.
ocratic floor leader in the house, has
Just given his adherence to the meas