The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-11-01
DEMOCRATIC TACTICS
IN CAMPAIGN SCORED
BY HON. PAT" O'BNIEN
UPPER PENINSULA EDITOR AND
LEGISLATION TELLS OF TWO
STATE CONVENTIONS.

1
Legislature paid a visit to the lower
peninsula recently to attend the Re-
publican state convention as an Iron
county delegate. For newspaper pur-
poses ne came down couple Of days
early and took in tho Democratic state
convention In Detroit before going to
Grand Rapids for the G. o. p. gather
ing.
Writing in his paper of the two
conventions, under the caption part
isanship and Patriotism" Rep. O'Brien
remarks editorially:
Last week the writer was present
at the Democratic state convention
at Detroit, as a spectator, and heard
Congressman Frank Doremus. presid-
ing officer OF the convention, state
brazenly that vote for a Republican
candidate this fall will be a vote in
favor OF Germany. He boldly assert
ed that the doctrine of the Democratic
administration and Democratic poll
cies must be immune from criticism.
This is in line with the campaign Of
Democratic candidate In Massa-
chusetts who boldly circulated circu-
lars in his district, In which he made
the statement that a vote for Repub-
lican candidates and policies would be
vote In favor OF the Kaiser and
would be hailed with Joy by the Huns.
Congressman Doremus' remarks
are insulting to hundreds OF thousands
OF good Americans in this great Re-
publican state of Michigan; they are
insulting to millions Of citizens
throughout the length and breadth of
this country, who, though Republicans,
are still every bit as intelligent and
patriotic and have done everything
possible to support President Wilson
in all his war policies as has Mr..
Doremus. The words of the Detroit
congressman are in line with those
made by William jennings Bryan not
very long ago, that the war is to make
the world safe for the Democratic
party.
Will H. Hays, chairman of the Re-
publican national committee, who was
present at the Republican state con-
vention at Grand Rapids last week,
and in one Of the most wonderful
speeches that the writer has ever
heard, flayed the Democratic party
most numerically, might we'll have
applied to them the comment he made
concerning the assertion by an officer
Of the Democratic national commit
tee, which perhaps Mr.. Doremus
echoed, that the election of Republi-
can congress would be a source of
comfort and citation to the kaiser and
his cohorts. To this statement Mr.
Hays remarked that such statements
do no harm politically to the party
against which they are directed, that
on the contrary "they perchance call
attention to the strength of our candi-
dates and to the weakness in many
places Of the opposition"
Mr.. Hays also administered a well
merited rebuke when he called shame
on the political party which endeavors
to make a political asset out Of the
patriotic war spirit which now in
spires this nation, and when he char
terized such conduct as IAN Insult to
every soldier in France. an insult to
every Republican home" from which
80 many Of these boys came, an in
suit to every soldier who fought for
Abraham Lincoln, and an insult to
Judgment and Justice, reason and
Righteousness"
Republicans really ought not to be
sorry because Mr.. Doremus spoke a.
he did, and because other Democratic
campaisners are Grating in similar
vein; for the words of these men are
complete proof Of the correctness Of
Senator Townsend's assertion at
Grand Rapids, last week, that when
President Wilson announced that poll
tics was adjourned, he meant that
everything except Democratic politics
was adjourned or, put the other way
around, that only Republican politics
was adjourned.
Possibly Mr.. Wilson might with pro-
priety have undertaken to place a curb
on his own party, and after calling off
the Democrats he might even have
asked the Republicans to agree to a
truce; but manifestly he had no right
to undertake to direct the course of
party of which he Is not a member,
In order to give his own party IAN
edge"
We are not sure, however, that I'M
der any circumstances an adjourn
ment of politics would have been bene-
fetal, It might have choked construc-
tive criticism and all endeavor to
correct errors and remove misfts In
Office. Moreover, Senator Townsend
spoke good Americanism when In an
nouncing his opposition TO partisan
politics in connection with this war
which, parenthetically. 10 the sort OF
partisan politics men HE Mr.. Dore-
mus are undertaking to play. he point
ed out the fact that while we are In
war. we also are In peace. Conse-
ouently there are great domestic and
economic problems that call for solu-