Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-12-13

| me that the Congress- must 60 further
in authorizing the government to set
limits to prices. The law of supply
and demand. am sorry to say. has
strained selfishness. While we have
eliminated profiteering in several
branches OF industry, it still runs i'm
pudently rampant in others. The
farmers, for example, complain with
a great deal of justice, that, while
the regulation of food prices restricts
their incomes, no restraints are pifced
upon the prices of most of the things
| they must themselves purchase and
similar inequities obtained ON all
sides.
To Use Water Power.
1t is imperadyely necessary that the
| consideration of the full use of the
water power of the country and also
the consideration of the systematic
natural resources of the country as
are still under the control of the fed
| eral government should be Immediate
ly resumed and affirmatively and
constructively dealt with at the earli-
est possible moment. The pressing
| need of such legislation is daily be-
coming more obvious.
The legislation proposed at the last
session with regard to regulated com
| binations among our exporters, in or
der to provide for our foreign trade a
more effective organization and meth
cd of cooperation, ought by all
means to be completed at this session.
And I beg that the members of
the House of Representatives will per-
init me to express the opinion that it
will be impossible to deal in any way
but very wasteful and extravagant
fasion with the enormous appropria-
tions of the public moneys which
is to be properly sustained, unless the
House will consent to return to it's
former practice of initiating and pre-
pairing all appropriation bills through
single committee, in order that re-
sponsibility may be centered, expen-
ditures standardized and made uni
form and waste and duplication as
much as possible avoided.
A Railroad Message Later.
Additional legislation may also be-
come necessary before the present
Congress adjourns in order to effect
the most efficient coordination and
operation of the railways and other
transportation systems of the coun-
try; but to that 1 shall, if circumstan-
ces should demand, call the attention
of Congress upon another occasion
If / have overlooked anything that
ought to be done for the more effec-
tive conduct of the war, your own
counsels will supply the emission.
What I am perfectly clear about is
that in the present session of Con-
gress our whole attention and energy
should be concentrated on the vigor-
GUS and rapid and successful prosecu-
ton of the great task of winning the
war.
To Save Democracy.
I'VE can do this with all the greater
zeal and enthusiasm because we know
that for US this is q war of high prin-
ciple, debased by no selfish ambition
Of conquest or spoilation; because we
know, and all the world knows. that
we have been forced into it to save
the very institutions we live under
from corruption and destruction.
The purposes of the Central Powers
strike straight at the very heart of
everything we believe in; their meth
DDS of warfare outrage every princi-
pie of humanity and of knightly
honor; their intrigue has corrupted
the very thought and spirit of many
of our people; their minister and Sc
.cret diplomacy has sought to take
our very territory away from us and
disrupt the Union of the states. Our
safety would be at an end, and honor
forever sullied and brought into con-
tempt were we to permit their
triumph. They are striking at the
very existence of democracy and lib
erty.
1t is because it is for US a war of
high, disinterested purpose, in which
all the free peoples of the world are
banded together for the vindication
OF right, a war for the preservation
of our nation and of all that it has
held dear of principle and of purpose.
that we feel ourselves doubly con-
strained to propose for it's outcome
only that which is righteous and OF
irreproachable intention for our foes
as well as for our friends. The cause
being just and holy, the settlement
must be of like motive and quality.
For this we can fight, but for moth
ing less noble or less worthy of our
traditions. For this cause we entered
the war and for this cause will we
battle until the last gun is fired.
Ideals Not Forgotten.
I have spoken plainly because this
seems to me the time when 1T is
most necessary to speak plainly, in
order that all the world may know
that even in the heat and ordor of
the struggle and when our whole
thought is carrying the war through
to its end we have not forgotten any
ideal or principal for which the name
of America has been held in honor
among the nations and for which 1t
has been our glory to contend in the
great generations that went before
US.
l. ST. hos