Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-06

g90d' g' criticism of their failure
after the crisis has passed
Criticism of Congress, of the Presi-
dent and OF the Government in gen.
eral is helpful and productive OF
beneficial results at any time, wheth-
er the nation be at war or at peace,
providing it is made in good faith
and is of purely constructive nature
| Purely partisan criticism is bad al
any time and perilously near to
treason during war. The politician,
the ordinary citizen or the newspaper
that processes to see nothing good
in the President or the administra-
ton, who find insincerity where there
is no more than the human tendency
to err, who call black white and
white black purely for partisan pur-
poses, or to salve their own mistaken
party zeal, are dangerous influences
in the country at this time.
Not all the President does will be
pleasing to Republicans. Not all that
Republican leaders do will be salts
factory to Democrats. Even within
their own parties Republican and
Democratic Representatives of the
people at Washington have been and
will be subject to adverse criticism
But if we are good Americans we will
look for the good at this time and
believe that every man in Washing
ton, barring Of course the self-proved
German sympathizers who are openly
antagonistic to every thing that is
being done for the successful prose
cutin of the war, is as sincere as the
humble citizen who marches into
the recruiting station and offers his
services as a private in the ranks.
He would be a foolish man, in
deed, who would accuse president
Wilson of doing anything but what
he sincerely believes is for the best
interests of the nation at this crisis.
This is not a Democratic war nor a
Republican war, it is not a rich
mans war nor a poor mans war
| Some hundreds of thousands of poor
men and the sons of poor men have
volunteered for service in the army
and navy. Hundreds of thousands
of others of their kind are laborine
faithfully in mills and factories that
the needs of the government may be
met.
On the other hand, men of wealth
also are making their sacrifices
| Thousands of their boys are in the
| army and more are going. Love oi
money has not caused these youth!
to stay at home. Scores of very rich
men, beyond military age, but OF
wide experience in business and skin.
ed in organization. are working at q
dollar a year in Washington, help.
ing to put the country in shape tc
meet the terrific strain of war. o.
these. many of whom have been the
subject of just such criticism as
Lieutenant Governor McClain Sc
vigorously condemns, TELE.
GRAPH correspondent in Washing
ton writes:
Incidentally. there are many big
men here in Washington now.
There never were so many mil
lionaires floating around, and some
are acting as chief clerks of busy
Offices, their principal andln fact
only compensation being ah occa-
slonal swat by some Senator OF
the Reed or Nardaman type in Con-
| gress-a swat that goes farther
than an ordinary swat because it
impugnS their motives and in
sinuates that they are down here
Tor Interior purposes, one being
| that of so directing contracts that
large sums of Government money
may go to firms with which they
are connected, for Government
supplies and at high prices.
dent for a minute believe that
those are the facts. 1 believe that
man can be a rich man and still
be a patriot.
Seriously. I sometimes wonder
IL the Cabinet, when more than a
year ago they heartily Joined in
aiding the creation Of the Coun-
Gil of National Defense, would
have been so cordial in their sup
port If they could have known to
| Just what extent the Council of
National Defense and it's advisory
committees were coming to Wash
ington to throw ginger. pep" and
system into the operations of the
departmental machinery 1 have a
|, feeling that several of the Secre-
taries now chafe under the situa-
tion, but they can't get out from
, under.
J This is no time for criticism that il
not constructive. Give the Presiden
! your whole-hearted support and 4
he or his lieutenants do those thing,
of which you cannot approve, a
: least let your objections be couchet
in reasonable language, so that tn,
. public opinion which you as an in