Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-10

are others Of the belligerent militar
lsts who have been insisting that the
president was the least 10 be trusted
OF anybody at Washington, and who
have been pinning their hopes on an
enforced call on the new congress.
The Register does not care 10 dis
cusS whether the senator's have gained
anything for The cause they had at
heart by the tactics they have pursued.
But on the main position the Reg
lister must insist that they were fully
within their rights. and that nothing
they have done or said has in any
way hampered the future conduct Of
international affairs The country has
every resource II has ever had. Presi-
dent Wilson has today every power
Abraham Lincoln had. or Washington
or Andrew Jackson, or any other pres
ident. The country having survived all
of these administrations with congress
In full control OF war and the things
that make for war, why should Sena-
tor Cummins or Senator Kenyon be
denounced for standing out against q
hasty and far-reaching change?
THE SENATOR'S AND PRESIDENT.
davenport Times.
Supporters OF President Wilson will
loudly condemn those who led the fiji
ibuster. In the eyes of those who ad-
here firmly TO the presidents Ioltcy
these men who resisted his will will
fall under suspicion as enemies of the
republic.
Those who have been chary of Inc
virtual war power which the president
asked will not share with them their
low regard for the participants in the
fiiIbuster. We do not share the view
point of those who are gladdened by
that effect of the fl!buster which weak
ems our national position.
The republican senators who joined
in the successful move to thwart the
will of the nations executive are pub
lie servants who have enjoyed the
highest regard ii the past. Their pa
triotism and their loyalty to the best
interests Of the nation have never been
questioned. Cummins, Kenyon. Gron-
ma Clapp, Works and LaF'ollette rep
resent the highest type of American
craftsmanship. These men are not
mere politicians. They would not CON
sp!re to weaken the position OF the
United States with intent. They
would not stoop to such agency to win
a mere technical political victory.
These men have resisted the armed
neutrality policy Of the president be-
cause they feared the consequences Of
placing the responsibility or the ma
tons position solely in the hands Of
Mr.. Wilson.
Unfortunately the position Of Mr..
Wilson does not defend his latest re-
quest for more extended powers. He
has professed impartial neutrality, yet
our position has been one Of benevo-
lent neutrality toward the entente al
lies. II our policy OF armed neutrality
was carried out without discrimination
our armed merchant ships would be
forced to resist the English blockade AZ
stoutly as we would that established by
the U-boat campaign.
Our position has been made insecure
by virtue OF It's hypocrisy. Perhaps
the defeat Of President Wilson's de-
mand may be best attributed to the
failure Of the administration to favor
special session. In this emergency
extraordinary measures are necessary.
The adoption Of an armed neutrality
policy is certain to bring on the Crisis
It's operation would have made a dec
laratioD Of war mere formality We
would be thrust into a state OF war
with the first attack by U-boatt upon
one Of the armed ships
In view OF the potentialities Ct the
presidents prescribed course OF action
it would have been polite TO have
called an extraordinary session OF
cor gress. Had this concession been
made the revenue measures which were
defeated, by the filibuster would nave
carried and with decks cleared for ac-
ton congress would have awaited the
test. 9
II we are inclined TO view the fhbus-
ter as vicious political expedient tne
same guage must be applied TO the ad-
ministration program.
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