The Washington herald., 1918-08-28

Momentous history was made yes
terday in the Senate when the draft
extension legislation was passed. as
one spectator in the gallery ex-
pressed it.
This particular spectator was one
of those hit by the extension. He
L. a business man who expects to
go II callcd--and he expects his bus
mess to GO TO the dogs IL he goes.
But he wants to fight IL called upon
to do so and would count the loss
of his business but little II he had
an opportunity to serve Uncle Sam
and IL Uncle Sam told him to go.
This is the spirit We admire. We
doubt the wisdom of calling the
man in question and we do not
think the Provost Marshal means to
take such as he Is. The man has
two children and a wife and is in
an essential business. There are
plenty of men under his age who
are in a position to go and who like
him want TO go. Probably they will
get the chance to go, too-and the
wisdom OF lowering the minimum
age thus becomes apparent.
Ed Snyder. local newspaper man.
was 46 years old last week and thus
escapes the age limit which Uncle
Sam Is setting upon his thorough
breds. But Ed will do whatever
Uncle Sam wants him to do Just the
same. He Is ready and willing and
will keep up whatever pace Uncle
Sam sets-if it isn't too hard for a
man closing in upon his half hun
dred mark. Ed has been ruled in
the essential class though recently
he received a bump in this direc-
tion. He was utilizing considerab Bile
space in an effort to defeat Senator
Norris for the Republican nomina-
ton. He felt he would be serving
Uncle Sam by urging the nomina-
tion of Congressman Sloan. The
Republican thought Senator Norris
an essentiaI--though by a minority
vote-and now Ed Is thrown back
upon the alternative of standing 10.
Norris or doing what he can to elect
the democratic opponent Of the Ne
braskar.
The term "commander-in-ch CHIEF
which the President wears doe, not
necessarily extend beyond tho au-
thority over the army and navy. ac-
cording to a speech made in The
House yesterday by Congressman
Roderberg OF Illinois. The latter
insisted tat politics is not ad-
jcGTncd, as she President stated. but
that an unusual activity is every
where manifest as from White
House sources. Congressman rod
enberg declared that he was willing
to follow tho President implicitly as
head Of the army and navy but that
he hardly felt Justified in doing 81
In political Affairs. He insisted that
all he had left. In his rights as a
lawmaker. was this function AMI II
he waived It no would be giving In
everything. This he felt was neithe er
necessary or actuaIly demandsd "a by
the President.
Imposition of such a task upon all
members without regard to party, he
thought. would be a. hardship which
the people themselves would not care
10 bear or to see their representatives
bear.
This very question Is being given
some attention by the Democrats,
however. at this time. They insist the
people do expect their representatives
to follow the President In everything
land therein they differ markedly
from the opinions OF their opponents
The Democrats count, confidently,
this fall. on the help of the people at
large. They think absolute. unswerv-
ing adherence to the Presidents
wishes in the large principles Is de-
manded from. all lawmakers. More
over. the Democratic political war
riors believe the people will punish
most of those who do not take this
view Of the situation. There is now
| evidence both for and against this be-
lief, however. and soon more Is to be
produced Of one kind or the other.
Mississippi and Wisconsin have
spoken and SO have the Alabama dis
tricts.
We hear that what ]. Ham Lewis "a
doing Just now does not have the
complete Endorsement Of the Presi.
dent. This is correct without ques-
ton. The President probably feelk az
badly as some other Democrats dc
with relation to ]. Hams antics
abroad. The Illinoisan appears to be
assuming more OF an attitude oi
Samantha at Saratoga than q docils
and humble worshiper at the shrine
Of world sacrifice. We do not heai
much about II. but we suppose from
his silence that Senator Thompson
another Depaocratic candidate for re-
eleetionss IL acting II entire harmony