The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-10-04
THEIR ATTACKS AN ASSET

Studied efforts are being made, un.
der the direction of Chairman Will
Hayes, of the Republican National
Committee, to convince the country
that Republican Congress is needed
to give President Wilson's war ad-
ministration efficient legislative sup
port. Weekly statements are being
distributed to the press, designed to
show how a Republican Congress
would be more valuable in the crisis
than Democratic Congress. The
logic is not clear. Neither is it ap-
parent from the records just how and
where Republican Congress would
recruit honest, active support for the
President.
1t is not worth while to attempt an
analysis of the argument. The whole
thing, from premise to conclusion, is
being refuted daily in Congress by the
Republican members themselves.
simultaneously with the effort of
Chairman Hayes to tell the country
Republicans would help the President,
some Republican legislators are doing
their utmost to show how they can
hinder and hamper him. Notable
among these men who appear to have
opened a veritable fall campaign
against the President in his conduct
of the war, are the following:
Senator Lawrence Y. Sherman, of
Illinois.
Representative William E. Mason,
ex-senator from Illinois.
Representative VIM. A. Rodenberg,
of Illinois.
1t would seem that this trio is en-
deavoring to balance disservice in
war legislation with service on the
score of recruiting further aid for the
Presidents program. For that is what
they are doing. Every speech, no
matter how bitterly they attack the
President or his aids, serves to con-
vince the nation more supremely that
the Administration is following prop
er lines. The country knows their
records.
Sherman voted AGAINST the Ship
ping Board BILL Espionage Act, Food
Control bill, War Finance Corpora
ton, and the Armor Plate measure.
Mason voted AGAINST the War
Resolution, the Selective Service Act,
Espionage Act, Railroad Control bill,
and War Finance Corporation. Ro-
denberg voted AGAINST the War
Resolution, the last great War Reve-
nue. bill, and FOR the Cooper amend
ment to nullify the effect of the Armed
Neutrality measure.
1t is common knowledge that these
three men have been consistently, per-
sistently, and even vociferously wrong
on war legislation.
81 am against this war because we
have had no just provocation under
international law for going into the
war;" said Mason in April, 1917. He
had been busy in recent months and so
had Rodehburg, explaining that the
country should not now resent his mis-
taken words and votes as to the war.
have not repudiated Mas
on or Rodenberg, nor apologized for
them, difficult as it must have ben to
stomach their bitter language.
Sherman shows no sign to sorrow
for his course. He has not had the
decency to apologize for, of endeavor
to atone for his many mistakes. He
still assumes he is right on the war,
with President Wilson, the Admins
tration and the country at large dead
wrong. Republican newspapers, as
the Philadelphia Public Ledger, the
New York Tribune and the New York
Herald have called on him to subside.
Republican Senators, however, make
no effective effort to restrain him.
Progress, as embodied in war legis-
ton and war administration, appears
to be Shcrman's particular bugaboo.
His latest uprising is against the sug-
gestion of the Federal Trade Commits
sion that, because the packers appear
to control the meat supply, the Gov
ernmcnt might find it advisable to
take control of the meat business.
Arguing at first as if he were the
chosen convoy of the packers to the
Senate, Sherman finally falls to in
vective and denunciation. Discard
ing any semblance of economic argu-
ment, Sherman says:
There isn't a one (of the Federal
Trade Commissioners who isn't
radical, a bolshevist, an economic
firebrand. They're younger brothers
of the |. W. WIS, all of them"
Victor Murdoch, Of Kansas, always
and consistently a purifying element
in politics, is one of the Commission
ers. He is generally credited with
having started the movement that
resulted in the overthrow of the Can
non-Penrose Old Guard regime, with
which Sherman seems to sympathize.
J. Franklin Fort, another Republi-
can, formerly Governor of New Jcr-
sey, is another Commissioner. Sena-
tor Thomas, of Colorado, stood up on
the Democratic side and attested the
character of these two Republican
Commissioners, while Republican SEN
ators sat silent.
VIM. B. Colver, of St. Paul, we'll
known Minnesota publisher, is chair
man of the Commission, and the third
man under Sherman's fire. He is
Democrat. Senator kellogg, of Min
nesota, Republican, arose and replied
to Sherman, saying that he knew Col
yer, who was an honorable gentleman
with considerable reputation for abil-
ity. Kenyon, of Iowa, another Re
publican Senator, Joined kellogg in re-
senting Sherman's remarks, but
Cyoaat sc II4oL ,~J aa,S. a4L.- =.