Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-05-03
PRESIDENT WILSON'S SERVICES

PRESIDENT WILSON'S SERVICES
Persons not friendly to President
Wilson and his policies have COM
planned during the past year or So
that he has assumed too much of
dlctorial attitude, has sought to and
has used power to bring about iegis-
lation he has deemed necessary.
Many persons who have not given
the matter closest attention, who
realize the president has gone farther
in such matters than other presidents
of the recent past at least, have been
lead to believe these things have
been true. believe the president has
been too much of dictator. Clear
ing this matter up in conclusive
manner is the following from the
New York World:
"Several members of congress have
complained Of late that the president
has taken all initiative from that
body and deprived it of power except
as it registers his will. 1t is true
that the influence of the executive
upon legislation is unusual but
whose fault is itp
For more than two years the only
real democratic leadership in con-
gress has been Mr.. Wilson 8 lead er
ship, and it has been necessary
leadership. With foreign complica-
tions uppermost, Senator Stone, who
as chairman of the Committee of For
eign Relations, should have led the
senate majority, has been much Of
the time in a minority opposition.
In the House, Speaker Clark IS early
leanings toward Germany and his
present hostility to the administra-
tion's military mea sres have depriv.
ed him OF influence, for he also has
been in minority. Representative
Kitchin, leader of the House major
ity by reason of his ehairmanship OF
the Ways and Means committee, has
been persistently at outs with his
party, and yet always defeated. Even
now, with the new army bill under
consideration, the member in charge
of that measure is a republican, be-
cause Chairman Dent of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, is fight
ing it. Several other dem ocrats in
both houses who might be named, all
in positions of leadership, have halk-.
ed or openly deserted in the service
of a miserable minority.
'These conditions arise in part
from the ancient practice which be
slows committee chairmanships by
seniority, but to a large extent they
are due to disorganization and dis
position to set prejudice and dema
gogy above country and party. As
no other president ever exerted such
leadership. in congress as Mr.. Wilson
has been compelled to assume, no
other has had SO many reasons for it
in the bedevilments Of men who
ought to have been his supporters"
When one stops to consider all the
grave problems which have confront
ed President Wilson during the last
year. when he is brought to reali-
zation of the fact that the president
has been forced to fight, in many
things not only an opposition party
but also members and leaders of his
own party, there is understanding
why he has gone forth to battle per-
sonally and has made known in mes
sages to congress and otherwise the
things he wanted and the things the
nation has demanded.
| President Wilson's initiative has
been the country's bulwark, its only
means of defense and offense. Had
the president not been initiative last
fall there is no telling the suffering
this country would have endured
through the railroad strike which
then threatened. Had he not insisted
on some declaration of congress there
40 Ato Wiling w uot tJCt-
mGn government would have gone
before halt was called. Had he moi
takeh the initiative in the matter OF
universal military training and ser
vice there would not now be the prob.
ability the country will soon have the
means of raising, training and equip
ping an adequate army.
4 After this awful war is over with,
when the conntry ana the world have
returned to their peaceful pursuits
when President Wilson shall have re
tired from office, when his life's work
| is ended and when his acts, all Of
them shalt have been written in his.
tory, it will be the universal verdict
that he was the greatest man of his
age, probably Of all ages, in that bJ