Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-09-13
CALL MEETING TO MAKE
STONE AND REED QUIT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, Sept.
II. - The move to force United
States Senator William ]. Stone and
Senator James A. Reed to resign has
taken definite form in Dunklin Coun-
ty. Thomas R. R. Ely, ex-state Sem
ator and active Democrat of South
east Missouri, has issued a call for
mass convention Of Democrats to be
held at Kennett next Saturday, Sep
tember Is, to condemn the course pur-
sued by Stone and Reed and ask for
their designations.
Notice of this was received here by
Democratic officials yesterday by
wire. -
1t is known that for the last several
days. Governor Gardner has been urg-
ed by many Democrats to take the
lead and call for State gathering
for the purpose of condemning Stone
and Reed, but has so far declined to
take the lead and bases his action up
on the ground that both Senators were
elected by the people and if they have
gone contrary to the wishes of the
people it is for the people themselves
to act.
The Governor is just as much op-
posed to the course these Senators
have been pursuing in their attacks
upon the war policies of the national
administration as President Wilson is
to the policies of the kaiser. 1t is sus-
pected, however, that the Governor
does not want to mix up in the mess
at this time.
Several Democratic officials who
were appraised yesterday of the move
in Southeast Missouri expressed their
satisfaction. They said that it had
only been a question of time until
the move would take form, and now
that man with the force of Ely has
taken hold, others will rapidly join
hands with him and before long there
will be such a popular demand for a
state demonstration against the two
Senator's that the State Committee
will be forced to act, or failing to act,
it will be run over, just as the State
Committee was run over in 1896 when
the Goldbugs controlled it and the
Silver forces throughout the State
were sweeping everything before them
and swept the committee off its feet
before they finished.
Senator Reed has recently been
back in the State and made it a point
to try to work up sentiment, first in
Kansas City and next in st. Louis,
against the move started in Southeast
Missouri. 1t is said that he succeed
ed in getting some of the postmasters
in line, few ward politicians and
Chairman Cowgirl Of the State Com
mittee, and returned to Washington
under the belief that he had solidly
sat up on the plans of the men who
are determined to make trouble for
the two Senators.
Reed thought it appears, that by
fixing things up with the Federal Of
flee holders who owe their appoint
ments to one or both of the Senators,
the rank and file of the party would
be forced to keep silence. People
who know Thomas R. R. Ely well re-
alize that there is no such thing as
making him wear a paddock on his
mouth, when he feels that the well
fare of his country is at stake, and that
there are men in Congress who are
more dangerous enemies of this coun-
try than the German armies.
Democratic politicians who are not
under the thumb of Stone or Reed
have been saying for some days past
that unless the party takes summary
action to throw Stone and Reed over
board it had just as well disband for
the campaign and election next year,
as no man can be elected to any Of
flee in Missouri on any ticket tat
does not condemn the two Senators
and uphold the President.