The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-25
Fireworks In the Upper House
Congress This Afternoon
HOT BLAST FROM BILL
Ripped Into Terrible Teddy"
For Statements Made BY
Latter Recently
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.1

From Mondays Odiiy.
Washington, January, 21.-Charac
terizing former President Roosevelt
as 'the most potent agent the kaise
has in America" and the most sedi
tious man of consequence in America,
Senator Stone addressing the senat
today, charged that republican lead
ers are engaged in studied effort tt
to make politics out of the war. Thei
object is to take the government owe
into their own hands," by partisan
criticism of the conduct of the wal
he declared.
Senator Stones address, CAREFUL!
prepared, the first of political signi
ficance made in congress since thu
United States entered the war, ant
regarded as the forerunner of bittel
partisan strife, excortiated partisan
ship in the war. Besides Colone
Roosevelt, the Missouri senator named
Chairman Wilcox of the republican
national committee and Senator Pen
rose among republican leaders as his
witnesses to the political plot he al
legged. Investigations by congress OF
war operations, Senator Stone also
declared, have. almost entirely been
launched by republicans and adroitly
exploited for partisan purposes.
Citing statements of the republican
leaders regarding the political plans
and editorials of Colonel Roosevelt
which, he said, are "villainous screeds'
published for money, Senator Stone
declared.
Says Roosevelt Is Menace.
con my responsibility as a senator
1charge that since our entrance into
the war Roosevelt by his attacks on
the government has been a menace
and obstruction to the successful
prosecution of the war.
"The only possible effect of these
widely published utterances of this
man." said Senator Stone, ''has been
as they were designed to be to dis
credit and bring the present govern
ment into public disfavor and weaken
its hold on popular confidence, that
seems to be the Rooseveltian stand
ard of patriotism" Similar utterances
made by less powerful citizens, Sena-
tor Stone asserted, would subject them
to prosecution for disloyalty.
"Of all men" the Missouri senator
continued, Roosevelt is most re-
sponsible for what he denounced, he
does his work cunningly In the front
of his propaganda he throws de-
ceptive political camouf1age. / charge
that Theodore Roosevelt is the most
potent agent the kaiser has in
America
The republican plans he cited, Sena-
tor Stone said, have been "adroitly
directed
Charge Against Republicans.
MANY if not all republican sena-
tors he asserted, Sare acting in
manifest concert, with dominant re-
publican leaders throughout the coun-
try to make politics out of the war;
AS proof of republican partisan plans
Senator Stone, declaring that there is
no need ito try to fool each other
or to fool the country" and declared
that congressional investigations of
the war proposed by republicans
were significant
Calling attention to the elections
next fall of the entire house men,
bership and many senators, Mr.. Stone
said two years later the presidential
election would follow.
Here is a chance" he proceeded,
for the dominating republicans of
the country-some of them, perhaps
more than one of them, seeking to
promote his immediate personal glori-
fication, and others, acting on larger
scale, to promote party advantage
to strike hard to turn down this ad-
ministration and take the government
into their own hands. That fight is on,
1t is being played before our very
eyes.
Elements of Discomfort.
There are various elements of dis
content in the country. Their poten-
TALLY as political equations is recog-
nized by all. The natural disposition
OF these discontinued elements will
be to strike blindly at the party in
power. Therefore. in a way, republi-
cans ally themselves with these dis
cordant elements of unrest.
Blu l especially protest against
and denounce the effort put forward
under the guise of patriotism to dis
parage this congress and the present
administration, to excite wider feel
ing of discomfort and lack of conf
dence, and to spread the poison of
this impression broadcast Plainly this
oOlI VI movement is dIOOt.
AS proof of his charges which. Sena-
tor Stone said, he presented "delib-
erately and regretfully," the republi-
/. cans are "harping" on alleged admin
1strative plumbers and stalking the
political fortunes upon their criticisms.
First present the honorable Boise
Penrose," Senator Stone continued
who as a great leader of the foremost
republican state, very properly occu-
pies the front seat in the republican
national Sanhedrin."
Citing alleged statements of Sena
tor Penrose that the republican lead
ers were planning to demand an ac
counting of the conduct of the war
Senator Stone said that Senator Pen
roses justification for his partisan
outburst was over an appointment of
the democratic governor in PennsyI
vania and democratic farmer in In
diana as federal explosives inspec-
tors.
Senator Penrose" he said "seems
to have forgotten partisan appoint
ments by the governor of Pennsyl-
vania of republicans on war commit
tees"
Of the Pennsylvania committee
members, Mr.. Stone said, 800 were
S ~.