New Ulm review., 1917-04-18
FREESf
8 OUR REPRESENTATIVES

others who have, opposed war, the
Chicago Examiner says:
he speeches and votes Of Senators
Hitchcock and La Toilette form an in
teresting contrast. q
Senator Hitchcock has been an
ardent advocate Of peace. We do not
doubt that he was absolutely sincere in
that advocacy. But he had come to
the conclusion that it was no longer
possible Or desirable to- remain at peace
with Germany and SO he spoke and voted
for the Presidents war program.
There is no doubt that Senator
Hitchcock was both sincere in his peace
advocacy and in his vote for declara-
tion Of war. He has at all times ex-
pressed his real sentiments and voted
according to them. And that is what
he is in the Senate to do. szs5a
| Senator La Toilette is as sincere a
man as Senator Hitchcock. He has
served his country as well and has been
as devoted as any Senator, to the in
terests OF his country men throughout
a long and honorable career. Senator
La Toilette still believes that peace is
the proper policy for the United States.
He believes that the United States enter
ing the war at this time will prolong the
war, will result in an added injury to
humanity and possibly grave danger
to the United States
For expressing his honored opinions
Senator La Toilette is called traitor.
It seen1sto his newspaper that Senator La
Toilette has just as much right to express
his opinions as has Senator Lodge.
Senator Lodge has always favored war,
and Senator Hitchcock has formerly
favored peace and has been led by CIR
cumstanees now to favor war.
.'In fact, it seems to the Examiner
that it is the duty Of every Senator in
such grave crisis TO express his sincere
opinion and his carefully considered
Judgment, and that the traitor IS the
man who through epwardiee, OF petty
policy, or through truckHng subserviancer
fails to express his honest convictions,
fails to give the people the advantage Of
his best thought, fails to- perform that
honest service for which he is sent to
w Ashington and which he Is p.id to
PERFORM
Senator La Toilette may be wrong
in his views, but our whole Congressional
system is based on the honest and fear
less expression of all the varying views of
our various representatives in Congress-
with the idea that out OF this discussion
and free and fearless expression the right;
principles and policies will evolve, We;
cannot have free discussion unless all.
opinions on a. question are freely ex-
pressed, and when we fail to, have free
discussion and honest expression Of
opinion and an uninfuenced majority
rule, we will cease to have Republic:
Therefore, whether we: agree with
Senator La Follatte or not, we should
not blame him for expressing hiia honest
sentiments, any more than we should
blame Lodge or Senator HitchGsek.. On.
the contrary we should commend him
for the courage be; has displaYea In per-
forming what he believes to be Ms duty.
even though THAT duty may not be.
popular at the moment
"As a matter of fact, it will he a very
bad day for the land and it's Ebertias
whenever the pernicious doctrine that. a,
representative of the people should not.
express his real sentiments and vote in
accordance with Els conscience becomes,
general; and, q worse day when it be-
comes generally accepted doctrine
that the Congress must submit to the:
will of the President, instead Of the Pre-
sident submitting to the will of the
people, voiced by the people, s repre-
sentatives in Congress, ;.
"That way lies autocracy and de-
spotism.
That is. indeed, the very doctrine
of Prussian Junkerdon, against which
the President declares that we are about
to fight.
1T is doctrine that has no place IN !
free country, because it is absolutely in
compatible with representative govern
Iment and popular freedom.
I've should all frown upon every
expression of this doctrine. more partic-
ularly in time Of war, when a people
are so much more AFT TO look with toll
erance upon serious infringements Of
their fundamental rights than they are
in time Of peace"
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