Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-11-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

'e employed by the League Of Ma
ions to discipline an offender; the
lemand that freedom of the seas shall |
,ecome a reality; and, finally, the de-
nand that the whole question of colo
lies shall be taken up and settled on
basis of the rights of the colonial |
as well as the rights of |
he civilized nations which have held |
hem.
If the rumors now flying about |
are true the opponents OF
these three points in the Wilson pro-
gram have surprised the president by
insisting upon an immediate settle
ment of the peace terms, instead of
first establishing drastic conditions
for an armistice and then coming to
the council table to consider the whole
worlds interest in each of the peace
terms.
The whole meaning of democracy
democracy won by
this war-hangs on this conference at
Versailles. President Wilson is using
the cable constantly, making a tire.
mendous fight. He has one vote in
four.
Imperialism in The Senate.
Former Senator Hansbrough of
North Dakota, who for IL years was
member Of the >*'stalwart" Repub-
lican crowd in the American house of
lords and then reformed, after being
betrayed by Theodore Roosevelt, ad-
dressed sharp letter to his old
friend, Senator Lodge, the other day.
''To accuse any of my old COL
leaogues," said Hansbrough, with
lending themselves to a scheme de-
liberately intended to counterfeit the
great democratic movement now going
on in the world might appear as
gratuitious and ungracious act on my
part Still, can not resist the con-
clusion that this is what the minority
campaign really amounts to.
II am glad to know that your dis
Greet leadership of the senate minor
ity has served to discredit the Roose-
welt telegram to you denouncing the
IA points in their entirety.
"Still that does not dispose Of the
matter, for with Republican victory in
next Tuesdays election, should such
a misfortune come to the country, at
once the Roosevelt idea takes its place
as the program of the party, with the
colonel himself occupying the first
line trench.
"The very last thing for the states
men of this age to forget is that the
war now going on had it's inception
and has trailed it's bloody course in
reaction"
Killed by The Harvester Trust.
Hansbrough learned the gratitude
of the reactionary political crowd Of
whom for so many years he had been
a submissive agent, when he tried to
get President Roosevelt to prosecute
the harvester trust. This trust was
the particular enemy Of North d.
kota. It was good political sense, the
senator concluded, to fight the har-
vester combine.
Going to Roosevelt with an elab-
crate showing of facts as to the
crimes of the harvester trust promot-
ers, he demanded that these promot-
ers be prosecuted under federal law.
According to Hansbroughs account
of the interview, Roosevelt pounded
the desk with his fist and declared
that IF these are the facts, these men
ought to be in the penitentiary."
AeOO0OS0At N1AAOu uP ALIOAAOy 0OA~
eral Bonaparte on the telephone, and
Then the enthusiastic chief magistrate
ton of the heads of the harvester
trust Immediately.
But BOnaparte, for some strange
reason, did not begin action. Days
passed, and weeks passed, and still
no action was taken. Hansbrough
finally discovered that Bonaparte had
received word from the White House,
soon after the departure of the sena-
tor from the interview, telling the
attorney general that he need not be
in hurry to bring action against the
harvester people.
A campaign was on. Hansbrough
suddenly found himself outside the ad-
ministration circle. He discovered
that Roosevelt's friends were avoid
ing him, and then he discovered that
the International Harvester company
had vetoed his further tenure Of a
seat in the senate.
So Hansbrough had his lesson OF
Roosevelt, as SO many men in con:
gress have had theirs. He lives in q
Maryland town just outside the Dis
trict Of Columbia now, and watches
the game OF national politics. And
every time he sees Roosevelt sneak
Ing up on President Wilson for an
Indian blow he feels like sounding an
alarm. =,
Further Wall Street Attacks. =.
On the other side of the political.
field are those two former progress
sives, now hopelessly reactionary-
ex-senator Bourne Of Oregon and
Senator Poindexter of Washington
Hansbrough became a progressive at
the very end of his political career.
Poindexter and Bourne won their
seats through their regulations as
progressives, and then started down
hill toward toryism. Bourne has long
since been forgotten, except for the
tarth-lovtng campaign he carries on
in the national capital under the name
OF Republican Publicity association"
Big textile interests and Wan street
financial interests seem to be- back
ing his efforts. And from this doubt
full obscu1fty he energies every little
while with a sniper's shot at the more
liberal policies OF the admin istration-.
For example, Bourne sent out on Oc-
tober 81 q press statement entitled,
presidents Terms Please Germany"
The state department is sharring
from the privilege 6f passports to
Europe nowadays, FOR diplomatic rearl
sons, men OF shigh Scientidc attain |
ments and broad democratic sympasl