Baxter Springs news., 1918-09-06

ka1tcs ----@ :. =
ents, and the right Of a nation itseli
to SO arm such vessels and ship mu'
nitions of war in them to belligeronts
Private citizens ship their cargo tc
one belligerent at the risk Of having
It siezed by the other. The act, there
fore, Of the Government in arming
ships and carrying arms and ammuni-
tions to one Of the countries at war Is
in itself, an act of war against the
other country to the conflict. / was
not willing, in the absence Of q dec
laration of war by the Congress to
give the President authority to in
volve US in q state Of war. The bill,
without the amendment, in effect
yielded to the President the Consti-
tutional power Of Congress to declare
war. OF course, all this has escaped
the keen perception Of the Democratic
candidate. However, the President,
without the authority of Congress,
armed our merchant ships; bu5 said
on the End day of April, 1917, thirty
two days after the matter was in con-
sideration in the House that his policy
of armed neutrality had failed.
The Democratic candidate also re-
fers to the draft provisions in the
Army bill. The draft provision in
the Army bill. That provision was not
in controversy; nobody voted against
it. The Army Bill contained three
provisions for raising an army; first
for draft; second, filling the quotas
of the regulars and militia; third, for
100000 volunteers to be Immediately
called and 100000 in six months il
needed. Congressional Record of Apr
81 and %, pages 1883 and 1903 shows
that Kahn of California, offered an
amendment to strike out the provision
for volunteers. That motion was de-
bated at great length. Speaker Clark
delivered the most forceful speech
against it. The question of the draft
was not an issue. / voted against
the motion to strike out the volun-
teer provision in the bill. The fight
against the volunteer provision grew
out of the determination of the Pres
ident to keep Col. Roosevelt from or
ganizing large volunteer force. The
President has succeeded in keeping
Col. Roosevelt and Gen. Wood out of
the war. l voted for the Army Bill
containing the draft provision about
which there was no question. If the
Democratic candidate had gone to the
Congressional Record for his informa-
tion, instead of to a political commit
tee, he would have known this.
/ do not think it important to take
valuable time to refer to the Demo-
cratic candidates views on the po-
litical economy of Adam Smith; but
l am amazed that the Democratic
candidate should show such a prefer
ence for the cotton planters of the
South, over the wheat growers of he
North. But, after all, that is what his
party has been doing and he in line
with his party. / shall continue to
insist on the same kind of treatment
for the farmers of Kansas as is given
the planters of Mississippi-a thing
this Administration has refused to do.
l had not intended to refer to po-
litical matters during this campaign.
The President has declared that "Po-
litics has adjourned" The Democratic
candidate insists on politics. Our SOL
diers and sailors are not divided now
politically; they are advancing
shoulder to shoulder against a COM
mon foe. ! am interested in them.
| have tried and am still trying to
get the Administration to provide
them with the ablest leaders in our
country and with the best implements
of war in the world. / wish they had
the airplanes we have provided so
many millions of money to pay for
and all other implements of war that
Congress has made such ample pro-
vision for. If they had we would soon
lick the Kaiser to a FRAGILE.
Very truly yours,
n NEnDET