The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-12-03

ne real disquieting thing is that no
spokesman for President Wilson has
arisen to enter denial. That is whv
southern democrats in Washington
are mutterlng and are talking about
organizing an OPPOSITION party.
A Surprising Turn.
Inc surprising turn of this whole
government ownership business came
with the proclamation issued by Pres
idehC wilson taking over the express
companies and the cable lines after
the signing of the armistice and after
ne had issued his THANKSGIVING proc
iamatlon in which he declared the war
mad come to an end and that peace
finally reigns.
1t has become difficult for the dem
ocrats who are opposed to govern
ment ownership to explain lust why
the president took those two steps.
postmaster General Burleson's state
ment that it is more important that
the government control the cables
during the peace negotiations than it
was when hostilities were on and our
soldiers were being killed by the Hun,
IS difficult of mastication. Mr.. Ne
Adoo has not offered an explanation
as to why it is more important that
the government operate the express
companies now that the war is over
than it was when the country was on
the win thu war" basis.
Democrats Are Concerned.
Democrats who are concerned over
the attention being paid to this ques-
ton of government ownership fear
that the president is listening to the
same sort of political foxes who ad-
vised him to issue his partisan ap-
peal for the election of democratic
congress on the 5th of this month.
They believe that if the president fol-
lowed his own inclination he would
have not put his foot down upon this
liberalization game being played
within his party. These democrats
point out that President Wilson fol-
lowed his own impulse when he de-
clared both prohibition and woman
suffrage to be questions which the
states should settle for themselves;
but when he gave ear to the politi-
clans he reversed himself entirely.
That reversal did not give to either
cause the strength which came from
his original attitude. Is there to be a
repetition in the case of government
ownership?
Grist for Republican Mill.
Under rates vastly higher than pri-
vate enterprise had ever dared to ask,
and under unified control and organi-
cation, which should have made posi-
BILE startling economies, the railroad
administration reported that up to
October LIST it had cost the govern
ment loss of over $200,000,00O to
operate the railroads of the country.
The republicans are going to hop on
to that statement and wall and wall
and wall. The G. O. P. is going to OPP
pose government ownership.
Now, what the democrats want to
know is, will President Wilson exer-
else his leadership and take the wind
out of republican sails by removing
all fear of the embarkation of the
country upon such an experiment by
so directing congress in it's war re-
organization legislation as to make
this liberalization impossible, or will
he listen to the politicians who be-
lieve success for the democratic party
in 1920 lies in espousing the social
istic theory and in boosting the wages
of the employees of the railroads, tele-
graph, telephone, express, cable and
any other concerns the government
can lay its hands on so as to win
their support at the polls?