Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-16
Doesn't Like Our Attitude.

The Argus received letter from q |
leading Rock Islander today can
ceiling his subscription because OF
the papers partisanship in war
times" The Argus regrets that the
citizen referred to is to deny himself
the satisfaction and joy that regular
reading of The Argus insures, and
furthermore it is sorry he can't see
the fairness Of the papers attitude in
the case Of Secretary Baker-presum-
ably it is to The Argus defense of
the head of the war department that he
objects. The Argus is of the opinion
that there is a political plot on foot in
Washington to unseat Mr.. Baker be-
cause of the strength that he is gain
ing among the people of the nation
through the manner in which he has
conducted his department. He does
not himself deny that there have been
mistakes made in the work carried on
under his direction, but these were
bound to occur because of the rush
and uncertainty attending many OF
the moves taken after the nation had
become involved in the war. There
have been deaths in the army canton
ments, but these would have occurred
if some one other than Mr. Baker had
been chief of the war department.
Testimony presented at the senator
ial inquiry proved that Mr.. Baker was
big enough to shoulder such errors as
had been made by his subordinates; in
fact he was ready to face any crltl-
cisms that were intended to remove
obstacles in the carrying forward Of
the business that was assigned to his
department. The chief lament of the
opponents of Mr.. Baker is that he was
a pacifist before the United States en-
tered the war Suppose he was?
There were others of our statesmen
who held similar views, but they are
now to be found doing their utmost to
speed the task of choking the ambi-
lions of the kaiser. The Chicago Trib-
une is leading the onslaught in the
middle west against the secretary of
war The Tribune has not so stated,
but there are suspicious that its cam
didate for the place is Colonel Roose
welt The real inspiration for the
campaign against Mr.. Baker is the fear
in Republican circles that he will be
a pretty big man by the time the war
is ended and that in the event that he
became the Democratic nominee for
the presidency it would be impossible
for the grand old party to bring for
ward man who could make show
ing against him. Roosevelt is on the
outside trying to break in II he could
manage to land the war secretaryship
two birds would be killed with the one
stone. Mr. Baker would be disposed of
as a presidential possibility and Col
onel Roosevelt would have popular
lied himself with the people to such
an extent that the Republican party
would be glad to give him the nomina
ton unanimously. This is all said
with the understanding that Mr.. Will
son will not run again for the presi-
dency. The Argus, instead Of playing
partisanship at this time, is seeking to
do its modest bit in giving black eye
to a cheap campaign that the Republic
can party has opened against one Of
the most efficient members of Presi-
dent Wilson's cabinet at a time when
patriots ought not permit their minds
TO wander into such fields. If Mr..
Baker were the incompetent that his
political enemies are charging that he
is The Argus would join the chorus
and demand his retirement But he
isn't. He is making good. The plot to
force him out of Office will not sue
coed. The great majority of Ameri-
cans do not want it to.