The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-05-12
Royal {. johnson
Presents his Case to the Voters for
denomination and Election.

l
denomination and Election.
| On the sixth day of December.
1915, | took the oath of office as a
republican representative in CON
gress, with the hope Of fairly rep
resenting the wishes Of the electors
Of the second district Of South Da-
kota, and with the knowledge that
if did not fairly represent the vot-
ers Of that district | would be suc-
ceeded by some one who would.
Up to and including January 8,
1916, 1851 bills and resolutions
had been introduced in the House,
while had voted but three times
on matters involving Legislation or
legislative polcicy. | was present
at every session and but three leg
islative questions We're presented
for vote. On January eighth, in
spite Of the fact that it had been
impossible for me to either repre-.
sent or misrepresent the voters Of
the second district, an opponent to
my denomination announced him
self. No one has a mortgage on any
political office, but it has seemed to
me that | should be given chance
to make some kind Of record and
cast more than three votes on pub
lie questions before change should
be made. 1t is plain that opposi-
tion to me cannot and is not based
on record, but that my opponent
simply desires to hold the office.
So far as have been able t. deter
mihe, we agree on the matter of
rural credits, child labor, federal
aid for good roads, pension mat
ters, and other legislative cues
tions 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 a reasonable de-
gree Of preparedness. At the pres
ent time, the United States has
three aeroplanes in service The
Mexican campaign has demonstrate
ed the fact that we should have
many more. In 1914 France had
l40. and Russia 500. In 1915, in
a 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 insufficiently
manned. We need greater eff
cency, more transports, and navy
that will give an adequate first line
Of defense. My opponent states
that he would call halt on further
expansion Of the navy and army,
and states that if this nation in the
slightest degree increases its army
or navy it will. if it does not re-
pent, be overtaken sooner or later
by the same divine wrath that shat
tered Babylon to pieces and hurled
Rome from a throne that was sup
posed to be eternal. = do not be-
live that the army and navy should
be disbanded, and | cannot agree
with my opponent that we ought
not to have at least a sufficient
p,v,,bar nf v,oor IN Tho Avoa.;cco
army to successfully oppose the Mex
lean bandits who are making
practice Of invading the United
States, and have contracted the hab-
it Of numbering our citizens. |
radically disagree with the Mexi-
can policy Of the present admins
traction, if in fact it can be said to
have had any and belive that firm
policy adopted at the beginning Of
the present administration would
have obviated any of the difficulties
with which we are now confronted.
| do not believe that the foreign pol
icy Of the present administration,
if it can be said to have one, will
be sustained by the American peo-
pie. In one breath the President has
preparedness, in the next
advocated q policy that calls for the
greatest navy on earth, and at the
present time no one knows what
policy he does advotcae. At one
time, he warns Americans to stay
out Of Mexico. On January Is,
1916, the President, in his note to
Germany, says that the right to
arm merchant vessels is doubt
ful legal right and in the next
breath, regardless Of the fact that
the legal right is doubtful. appar-
emily desires to involve this coun-
try in war to sustain it. Last week
the President reversed himself again
0rd <kp,, his Co>eok>~., - C%ckn