Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-08-27

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Second District voters arc not being
deluded by the Speclous democratic
argument that the only way In which
Maine can register vote OF confidence
In the administration's war program ID
to elect . Democratic congressional
delegation. Maine voters arc not igno-
rant; they are thinking men who read
and follow the trend Of public Affairs,
both, locally, In the State and at Wash
ington. They know who have supported
the administration wsD measures and
who have not; also they are somewhat
familiar with the records Of public men.
Such an electorate cannot be mislead by
q mass of glittering generalities into
rejecting men who have been tried and
In this district they will not be induced
by such means to set aside Congressman
White whose earnest, loyal and stead
fast support OF every war measure 10 .
matter of official record, for man,
whose official record shows that by bis
vote he helped, Immediately preceding
the war, to defeat measures the purpose
of which was to put this nation In 4
position to protect Its citizens and their
property.
When Democrat orator tells the peo-
pie Of this district that only by electiDg
q Democrat can they give vote OF con-
fidence to President Wilson and assure
him the support Of war measures, they
state that which cannot be substantisted
by the records.
These records are the votes in Con-
gross and the reports of speeches as
published In the Congressional Record.
They show that Republicans in Congress
have been tho more consistent support
ers of these measures, while the Dem
ocrats in Congress have been the in
sistent opponents.
Examination of these records show
that 10 per cent of the Republicans sup
ported the war measures, whereas but
Y per cent of the Democratic member.
ship have done so.
Is this not sufficient answer to the
Democratic claim that election Of their
candidates will be an endorsement Of the
administration's war policy, whereas to
elect Republicans will notp
Butthere is another side to this mat
ter which Is worthy Of consideration and
is illuminating in the extreme. Who
are the Republicans who have opposed
the war measures? Think that over.
When you have done 80 you will find
they are the little fellows, the small fry,
If you please; men who are seldom
heard Of. The big men have jumped
into the collar, put their shoulders to
the wheel and lifted hard for the sue
cessfdl prosecution of the war. Men
such as Mann, Cannon, Longworth. Cur
tbs, Lenroot, Knutson, Mason in the
House, Gallinger, Lodge, Weeks, Wads.
worth, Smoot, Harden, Johnson, New,
Watson, Fall, and Penrose In the Senate
have led the fight for the measure.
How was 1t on the Democratic side?
The opposite. There We find the lead.
ing Democrats opposing the war meas
ure. We find Champ Clark leaving the
speakers chair to 60 upon the floor of
the house to oppose one of the chief war
measures which President Wilson had
asked for; we find Claude Kitchin, chair
man of the ways and means committee,
opposing war measures and also Chair
man Dent of the house military affairs
committee taking the same attitude. 1t
is matter Of very recent history how
Chairman Dent has not always risen to
the support of the President. he has
been delaying action on the new man
power bill by holding it in the committee.
In the senate it is the same; Democratic
leaders have opposed the war measures.
Reed Of Missouri, Stone of the same
state, Vardeman of Mississippi, Hard
wick of Georgia, ell leaders on their side
of the chamber have been constant op.
ponents of the war measures. IL there
anything In this which supports the
Democratic contention that the only way
that Maine can write its endorsement OF
the war program Is by electipg Demo-
Gratis? We think not.
Another thing which the Democrats
are making considerable talk about Is
the matter of acting in a non-partisan
manner; that politics should be ad-
journed, to use the Presidents favorite
phrase. In support of this they call
attention to the fact that In 1893, Reed,
Hanna and other Republican leaders
urged the same thing, that President
Mckinley might have full support Of
Congress In prosecuting the war against
Spain. As usual, the Democrats do not,
in this instance, tell the whole story.
They depend upon half truths to make
their point.
1t is true that Republican leaders did
in 1898 urge upon the Democrats to for.
sake partisan politics and support the
President as q matter of patriotism. It
is also true that the Democrats did not
respond. As party they ignored the
cali to patriotism-the shibolith of
patriotism, Champ Clark at that time
designated it-and voted against the war
measures.
The first great war measure, after the
declaration of war, which Congtess was
called upon to enact was war revenue
bill. 1t was bill prepared by Nelson
Dingley of Names second district, then
chairman of the ways and means com.
mittee OF the house, and reported by
that committee. Did the Democrats of
Congress adjourn politics and support
that bill? They did not. The record
shows that but six Democrats in the
House and six Ia the Senate voted for
the bill.
And that is not all. The records show
something more. They show that these
twelve men were read out Of the Demo-
crat party for so voting, for adjourning
politics and voting according to the die
tates of patriotism and the love of coun.
try. And the records show further that
the men who read them from the party
were lead by Champ Clark of Missouri,
now speaker of the House, and James
Hamilton Lewis, the same Senator Lewis
who is to day 80 fearful that Republi.
can may forget his patriotic duty; the
same James Hamilton Lewis, who,
IL Republican member of the Senate
questions q word or sentence In any
measure having the Presidents endorse
ment, denounces him az traitor to his
country and q friend of Germany; the
same Senator Lewis, who went to New
Hampshire and Indiana and Wisconsin
and told the voters that the only way In
which the unity of the land and the sup
port of the administration could be
assured was by electing Democrats; the
same Senator Lewis, whose advice in
those states was ignored and laid aside.
The records, not only of this war, but
~ tha Snaniah. A marican war aa related