Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-07
BOURNE SEES DANGER
EXECUTIVE DEMAND

k-hLUUuVI UAINIHIVO
| Washington, Aug. 1.-THE Repubh-
can Publicity Association through its
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr''
has given out the following statement
at its Washington headquarters:
president Wilson's objection TO the
creation of Joint congressional COM
| mittee on war expenditures, WITH d
majority of that committee composed
! of members of his own party, is based
on the false assumption that TINS is
his war, that he is responsible 1or It's
efficient management and that ne alone
is infallible With equal reason
president of a corporation, as soon Dis
I elected. might say we will Abolish our
constitution and bylaws and dlsqudH-
fv all the board Of directors as soon
as they have delegated to me all theN
mowers and voted me the right 10 eA-
nand all the assets of the corpora
| ton. ,n,
| president Wilson is undounteulS
! correct in the assertion that crea 'ioii
Of such a committee could De il'ei
nreted only as a lack Of confidence IN
the executive The fact is that our
s,.eten, of government, providing as IL
does for three coordinate branches Is
in itself an expression OF lack OF COZ
fdence in the executive acting ALONE
! throughout the world today tilele 10
lack of confidence in dictators'
"The creation of Joint congresshh-
III committee on war expenditures Is
not recessarilv an expression of lack
If confidence in the President S IN
tegrity, but it indicates lack OIL coii
fdence of the ability Of any one man ~
conduct the affairs Of a great govern
ment such as this when involved III tlIe
erea test war in history. 1t is aNlomauc
that Capitalization of power IN an IN
diyidual can only result in operations
commensurate with the Individual III
tegritv. ability and experience lHe
record of the Wilson administration u
date fully iustifies lack OF commence
In time If war. as in time of peace, MS
administration has been partisan, sec
+;ona1. yacillating and inefficient. TO
mt more ships on the seas is the press
ing need of the hour Although l"0
act creating the shipping board was
passed last September, that board Sc
lected by the President alter 'Alee
months delay, has been wasting us
energies by strife among its MEMOIRS
At the outset of our participation III
the war, the President delayed urgent
LEGISLATION by pressing MS deInahu l'i
a needless throttling Of the press III
exnerienced if not Incompetent men
are retained in his cabinet. Partisan
service figures mos than experience IN
~ most recent of important appoint
ments.
But it is needless to enumerate IN
stances pertinent to the issue or lack
of confidence Consres gets us eH-
istence, its powers and its responslpll-
ties from the same constitution that
created the office of President Mem
hers Of the Senate and House are the
only officers chosen by direct vote OF
the ryople They are charged with
responsibility for raising armies, pro-
yiding revenue and authorizing eX-
nenditures. 1t is not only their right
hut their duty to see that funds are
effectively spent in accordance With
law.
'Credtlon Oh inc joint COllilllIttce III
wolves vastly more than the question
of confidence in the President. 1t in
wolves the very fundamentals of de-
mocracy. The war is direct out
growth Of centralized power in eXeCu-
tives. If the legislative body in Ger
many had possessed and exercised the
legislative powers of a republic, there
would have been no war. Assertion of
divine right and assumed infallibilitv
must be overthrown in Europe and
must he forestalled in America. This
can be accomplished only by cour-
ageous exercise by Congress of those
duties and powers vested in it by the
constitution. The time and the occa-
sion are here.
I'm his opposition to creation Of the
congressional committee. President
Wilson has raised the issue between
autocracy and democracy. II is an is
sue which must be sauarely met and in
which democracy must not yield"