The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-10-25
DEMOCRATS AGAIN
REFUSE TO STAND
BY The PRESIDENT
Southern Members Defeat Equal
Suffrage Despite PreSi-
dents Appeal.

Although the Democratic leaders
are attempting to make it appear they
are not to blame for the defeat Of the
Suffrage resolution in this session OF
Congress, there is no way they can
twist the figures 50 as TO escape the
responsibility Of this action. Demo
Gratis are the majority party in the
Senate and as such have it in their
power to pass any legislation. Instead
Of their party standing by the Presi-
dent" y of their number opposed him,
and OF these, 10 came from south OF
the Mason and Dixon Line. They rep
resented Democratic leadership In the
Senate. They included Senator Mar
tin OF Virginia, floor leader Of the
Democrats in the Senate; Simmons OF
North Carolina, chairman Of the Com
mittee on Finance; Smith OF South
Carolina, chairman Of the Committee
on Interstate Commerce; Overman OF
North Carolina, who has been the pres
ident's spokesman on the floor Of the
Senate; Underwood Of Alabama, one
of President Wilson'S opponents for
nomination in 1912; Williams Of Mis-
sissippi, Bankhead of Alabama, Benet
of South Carolina, HardWick of Geor-
gia, Shields Of Tennessee, TrammelI
of Florida, GuiOn Of Louisiana.
There IS no way to escape the con
clusiOn that the South was in the sad
die driving an offensive attack against
q resolution which the President had
asked as q war measure. The Rcpub-
leans, although in the minority IN the
Senate, furnished more votes in favor
Of this Measure than did the Demo
Gratis, and they contributed less than
one-half as many votes against it, the
opposition vote being: Democrats,
y Republicans, 10.
Democrats Against President.
If this were not enough to show that
the Democratic party cannot be relied
upon to Stand by the President on
measures which he regards as neces-
sary for winning the war, the vote IN
the House would cOnclusively prove 1t.
When the Suffrage resolution came to
a vote In the House there was q clear
majority Of Democrats against 1t and
an overwhelming majority Of Repub-
Leans for it. The lineup stood:
Democrats-For, %; against, 1O3.
Republicans-For, 172; against, 80.
These figures give some idea Of the
opposition to the President which eX-
lists within his own party, an opp0si-
ton that is solid in the dominant
Southern wing Of his party and which
therefore can never be eliminated. III
is the handicap of the Southern Bour-
bon under which the Democratic party
must forever labor. 1t is the repetition
Of what happened when Democratic
leaders like Dent Of Alabama, kitchin
Of North Carolina and others refused
to support the President on the meas
ures which were necessary to raise
and maintain an army. 1t is the repe-
tition Of what has happened on many
previous occasions when the President
ran contrary to the sectional preju-
dices Of that part Of the United States
which is hopelessly D"E!Ocratic.
1t now remains to see whether the
Democratic leaders who have thus re-
pudiated the President upon what he
regards as a very important war meas
ure can go before the country and
make n successful appeal for their re-
election upon the ground their re-elec-
ton IS necessary in order to have q
Congress which will stand by the
President"