The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-04-17
WASHINGTON NEWS So
" GOSSIP [sz azzzzzs ssa5zs s157.7:
10y coNoo.)

An examination of the mass of let
tiers from their constituents which has
been, and is continuing to be dumped
into the offices of the Senators and
Representatives. who compose West
Virginia's delegation in Congress dis
closes at once a marvellous unanimity
OF opinion on one issue and an equal.
ly marvellous contradition of said I'M
animous opinion.
Stand by the President" Each
and every writer-the exceptions are
so few comparatively as to be negligl-
ble-is for that heart and soul. fever.
ishly and fervently, positively and pa
trioticlly. There is no question as to
how the letter-writing constituent
stands on that. He's for it with an
emphasis and force conveyed il words
and sentences which Enthusiastically
make 1t plain. Generally, he devotes
the first paragraph of his counselling
communication to that subject; fire.
quently, he returns to it again at the
close
1t is what he writes In between.
which is causing Senator and Con.
gresham to wear worried, look. And
no wonder
In hundreds of these letters, after
admonishing the member to Stand
by the President" the writer's proceed
to protest against about every import
ant thing in the way of war prepare.
tino which the President is now stand
ing for; not only standing for but
making a hard fight for on Capitol
Hill. They vigorously protest against
the Presidents "selective consCrip-
ton" plan to raise an army, and they
mehemently inveigh against sending
narmy to the European battle fields.
The latter matter, of course, the Pres
ident or nobody else has raised as
an issue at this time. 1t is ques.
ton to be settled later, apparently.
How to raise the army deemed abso.
lutely necessary by the government
is, however, one which is pressing for
immediate settlement. The Presi.
dents plan-the President is comman.
der.in-chief-is backed by the Secre
War Colleke. Against the weight OF
this schooled experience, hundreds of
laymen in West Virginia, and doubt
less in many other states, place theirs
Another phase Of this correspond
ence is the undeniable fact that good
many men have written before fully
informing themselves as to facts in.
volved. There is a great amount OF
ignorance shown, considerable egot-
ism and not little ill.temper. Not
few writers come near to threaten
ing their representatives in Congress.
But all Of them decand-"Stand by the
President"
West Virginia politicians are, so
far as we know, as shrewd as any.
They have been known to straddle at
times, and at other times to carry a
brimming pail of water on each
shoulder without splitting so much as
drop. But how, they are going to
Stand by the President" and at the
same time~oppose everything he asks
for, as commander.in-chief of the army
and navy, or almost everything, the
states delegation in Congress are I'M
able to say.
This correspondence is quite apart
from another bulk of it from West
Virginians who want to fight, most
Of them Under commission If they
can get 1t, for they are men who have
had military experience. 1t is quite
apart, too, from many letters receiv-
ed from citizens who make no reserv-
atoms and expound at length no ad-