The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-05
WORKS
ROASTS WILSON
SAYS THE COUNTRY IS
WORSE THAN MONARCHY
Every Act of Administration
Shows President a Despot
Calls 1t Shameful.
SrEES11SNoM3L- :

WASHINGTON, Jan. (. With in
arraignmenl Of President Wilson S
administration and Of what he called
decadenCe in American society and
government Senator Works OF Cali.
fornia, who retires March 1, began a
valedictory speech today in the sen
ate He deplored tendency toward
centralized. unchecked and unlimited
power on the part Of the president
denounced profligacy Of wealth, rec
commended that the idle rich be com.
PEELED by law 10 work. and urged the
formation of Il new progressive politi
cal party known as the Liberty
Party"
| Recess for the night interrupted the
speech after two hours, and the sen.
ator will conclude tomorrow. Sen
Works declared usurpation of power
by the presiden, had amounted ''prac,
'tiCally to dictatorship" Referring
TO executive pressure on legislation
he said:
, IF this kind Of executive coercion is
persisted in and submitted to by con-
gress, then our government Is no
longer government of the people. Ii
is not Il democracy. 1t is not a repub
i lie. 1t is a deSpotism worse than any
known monarchy"
He reviewed the Wilson admnistra.
ition in great detail. In urging repeal
Of the Panama free tolls clause, he
said the president had "descpnded to
the level of il common lobbyist" and
submission Of congress he described
as "humiliatins spectacle" Efforts
10 force the shipping bill, he said
were shameful" adding that the re.
rt I,,sI /
dictation and caucus rule" and the
child labor bill by "humiliating lobby.
ing for political reasons, the president
being a political candidate"
The Presidents insistence on pas.
sage of the Adamson Act, Senator
Works declared. was "deplorable.' '
while the recent confirmation of a
Supreme Court Justice furnished A
shocking example of unwarranted
influence"
The Mexican Program.
The course Of the President in
Mexico" he continued has been one
of arrogant and arbitrary, if not un.
lawful, exercise of power. Twice has
the President appointed commissions
ers, without lawful authority, 10 ne
gotiate with commissioners appoint.
ed by Carranza to settle our relations
with Mexico"
The senator also denounced the
Presidents appointment of personal
representative in Mexico, and said
that the United States had twice gone
10 war with Mexico without the sane
ton of Congress.
Advocating a single presidential
term, Senator Works said the idea of
President being tho leader of a
political party was obnoxious. and at
tackled President Wilson for alleged
repudiaton Of the single term plank
Of the Baltimore platform. He said
the present patronage system was
"degrading, deplorable and danger
GUS"
Lavish use of campaign funds and
pork barrel" legislation also were
scored by the California senator. who
gave in detail appropriation records
of the Democratic administration. He
said there had been an increase OF
militaristic spirit because the public
mind had been shrewdly perverted,
largely by those having selfish inter-
ests.
y new alignment of political par
ties by Senator Works TO meet these
evils would contemplate a union of
Progressves of all kinds under the
name of the Liberty Party" The
Progressive party. he said. had been
deserted by it's leaders in its hour of
need, the Republican party had be-
come hopnlesslv disorsanized and the
Democratic party Was as hopelessly
divided between reactionaries and
PrOrreSSiVes