The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-12-03
PLAYING POLITICS.


Republican leaders have been repeat
eddy warned against permitting partizan-
ism leading them into actions that will
cause a revulsion of feeling in the cleo
ton of two years hence. But the warn
ing seems to have fallen on deaf ears if
one may judge from the disgraceful &C
tions of republican senator's and repre-
sentatives in congress who are attacking
President Wilson and doing everything
that ward politician would try to do to
put the president Sin a hole" No one,
not even the widest and most unrea-
sonable republican partizan will claim
that these efforts are being made III
order to secure a better or more equl-
table peace or to assist in making the
central powers pay up or be good. here
is Just one excuse for these actions and
that is partizan excuse.
The men who are Introducing reso-
buttons to declare the president is not
entitled to exercise the functions of his
high office during his absence are not
doing this for the love of their country.
They are not doing it to help the United
States. They are not doing it to aid III
settling the many very veXing questions
that will come up for settlement at the
peace conference. They are doing 1t
under the false belief that it will help the
republican party.
We say false" belief advisedly. We
do not believe there is an intelligent
voter in the United States who cannot
see through the scheme. We do not be-
lieve the average voter will favor IT.
We do not believe that the average Am
erican citizen who always favors far
play, will indorse this action by republic
can leaders and that. as pointed out by
such republican leaders as William Allen
White, whose good sense and republican
ism have never been doubted these at
tempts to hurt President Wilson and the
democratic party. will react againsz the
republican party in 1920 The important
work of the peace conference is not the
place to inject partizan politics.
No one can doubt the republcanism
or the good, sound sense of William
Howard Taft The men who are leading
the fight to make President Wilson APP
pear in bad role now, endorsed and
supported Mr. Taft when he ran for
president as the republican nominee on
two occasions. Yet Mr.. Taft says; |
There is nothing unconstitutional or
irregular about President Wilson's trip
to France and there is certainly nothing
in it to go crazy about"
1t will not do the republican party any
good to have the average American voter
read. as he did in yesterdays Associated
Press dispatches, that Senator Cum
Minis, republican, introduced a resolution
o send four democrat and four republic
an senators to attend the peace conven-
ion !" Senator Sherman, republican, of I
Illinois, introduced resolution to de- {
.lare the office of president vacant and '
Representative Rodenberg, republican,
# Illinois," introduced similar resolu-
ion in the house.
There ought to be enough good sense
mong republican leaders to stop his I
ind of work. The reason for it is too 4
pparent When the soldiers return i
rom France and get to vote two years :
rom now they will remember these at
acks on their commander-in-chief and Y
hey will resent it i'll a way that rs apt to 1
rove disastrous to those who planned /
nd carried out the campaign. +
- - "a F
"AUTOCRACY MUST CO." E
Ever since the United States entered Z
he war President Wilson has been in L
isting, in one form or another, that au- c
ocracy must go. At times there were
uggestions in certain quarters that the r
resident was going farther than he +
hou1d. Partisan critics made this the e
asis of part of their attacks. But he
tuck to his demands, and events have
indicated his wisdom. Germany came
, realize that autocracy was guiding it
pom the rocks and that it could save r
self only by throwing overheard the b
rate captain. Without the overthrow +
the house of Hohenzollern the world
ou1d not be safe for democracy.-En-
rprise (Oregon) Record Chieftain. r