Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1918-01-31
Politics and War.

Politics and War.
The action of some of the par
ty politicians, and especially the
ones in Congress, makes us won
der at times whether or not the
experiment of popular govern
mcnt is really a success. In the
midst of a war that we must win
in order to preserve our national
integrity, and in which we should
be united as one man, politicians
are endangering the success of the
United States by place hunting
and playing for party position.
Instead Of joining honestly and
earnestly in the effort to get the
nation on a well organized war
basis some of the politicians are
hindering the work by criticism
and dillatory investigations. All
this German Aid Society are not
Republicans. Some of the chief
est sinners are alleged Democrats.
A coterie of Republican office
seekers, headed by Roosevelt
with his third-term presidential
aspirations. would rather see Old
Glory trail in the dust of defeat
than gain new lastre under a
Democratic administration. But
they do not voice the ideas of the
whole Republican party. The
patriotic Republicans are aiding
the administration as loyalty as
any Democrat could do, and the
grumbling and criticism that we
hear, locally, is by local party
workers and not the plain citizen.
This, Of course, is inspired by the
politicians higher up, to create a
discomfort in order that their
party may be strengthened even
though to do this the country's
chances of winning the war are
jeopardized. This is not patriot
ism and don't appeal to the peo-
pies sense of right, for the peo-
pie are patriotic.
Senator Stone, a Democrat who
has been suspected of disloyalty,
inorder to get back into the con.
&6eHee Of his constituency open
ed the flood-gate of party politics
ina speech in the Senate, and in
TO this German trap the politi'
clans of both parties rushed pell'
nell. Chamberlain, another al
legged Democrat, is seeking to til
up war preparation with a wal
council. On the Republican
side, Roosevelt is hot-footing i
up and down the land preaching
discomfort, while Penrose ant
other trust heads are seeking il
every way to hinder the admins
tration because they are heavil.
taxed for war purposes.
All this criticism of the con
duct of the war is caused by sin
4 lister motives. But it won't foe
the people. They know that tn
country was unprepared for wa
in the beginning; they know tina
the progress made in getting a
army ready and equipped has as
founded even warlike Europe
Blunders have been made, but i
view of the magnitude Of tn
task it would have been strang
If there had not been. What W
should do is not to see only tn
few blunders, but the many mai
yelous achievements that the az
ministration has to its credi
This is Americas war, ii
peoples war, our war; and
ofice.seeking politicians thin
that hindering the administer
ton and prolonging the time
victory is popular will receive
jolt at the congressional electio
We plain citizens who have DO,
in khaki putting their lives
pawn for the integrity of Il
nation can have little patien
with the windjamming offic
seekers who would lessen Il
probabilities of our boys retul
in order to get Office. We CT
not tamely brook the causele
criticism of politicians who n
only will not fight for freedor
but seek to render ineffective t
sacrifices the boys in khaki a
making. In short we don't wa
" politics in the war.
We want Americanism.