The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-10-31
PRESIDENT ASKS REPuB-
LlCANs TO SURRENDER
Brands Them az Unsafe and Unfit TO
Hold Seat in Congress. Doesn't
Want Amy Branch Of Government TO
Share Place With Him.

~ ~ FAht#NSf@@
President Wilson has questioned IN
motives and fidelity Of your represer
: ta,ives in Congress. He has thereb
impugned their loyalty and denie
their patriotism. His challenge is {
you who elected those Representatives
You owe il to them. to the honor o
your great party and 10 your own sci
respect 10 meet that challenge square
~, not only as Republicans, but a
Americans. |, as your Chairman, cal
upon you 20 do il.
Mr.. Wilson accords the Republican
no credit whatever for having sup
ported the war measures" proposes
by his administration. although the.
have done so with greater unanimit.
than the members Of his own party
Despite that fact, he accuses them Of
having tried TO usurp his proper func'
tons. That charge, as Mr.. Taft de
clares in carefully measured words, il
not true. At no time and in no way
have they tried to take control Of the
war out Of his hands. The President
knows that. The country knows it.
You know it. A more ungracious,
more unjust, more wanton more men
dacious accusation was never made by
the most reckless stump orator, much
less by President of the United
States, for partisan purposes. 1t is
an insult, not only to every loyal Re-
publican in Congress, but to every
loyal Republican in the land. 1t fully
merits the resentment which right
fully and surely will find expression
at the polls.
Mr. Wilson grudgingly admits that
the Republicans have been "pro-war. "
Then why does he demand their de-
feat? Because they are still prowar :?
Hardly that No 1t is because they
are for peace through, not without,
victory; because they do not believe
lasting peace can be obtained through
negotiation; because they consider
that ~. S. stands for Unconditional
Surrender as we'll as for the United
States and Uncle Sam" The Demo
cratic Congress does not. Mr.. Wilson
does not There is the issue clear as
the MONDAY sun. The country will
decide.
Mr. Wilson wants only rubber
stamps, his rubber stamps, in Con-
gress He says so. No one knows it
better than Democratic Congressman.
He calls for the defeat of pro-war Re-
publcans and the election of anti-war
Democrats. He, as the Executive, is
no longer satisfied to be one branch
of the Government as provided by the
Constitution. Republican Congress
men must be defeated and Democratic
Congressman must, as they would,
yield in everything. That is evidently
his idea-the idea of an autocrat call
ing himself the servent but bidding
for the mastery of this great free
people.
Republicans in Congress have SEEM
ed to him good enough when they
assented, as they did assent with high
est patriotism and, sometimes against
their best judgment, to his proposals.
Republicans at home have seemed to
him good enough to send fully mil
lion Of their sons into battle, to fur
nish at least half of the army and far
more than half of the money for the
winning of the war, but they are not
good enough to have a
voice in the settlement Of the war.
Why? Are not their sacrifices as
great as others Have not they as
much at stake in the future? Mr..
Wilson says he has mo thought of
that any political party is
paramount in matters Of patriotism"
but he does suggest it, and he sug- !
eests further that he alone is para
mount in intelligence.
But Mr. Wilson's real purpose has
nothing to do with the conduct OF the
war. He has had that from the be-
ginning, has it now, and nobody
lreams Of interfering with his control.
He wants just two things. One h full
,ower to settle the war precisely as he
md his sole, unelected. unappointed,
personal adviser may de-
ermine. The other is full power as
he "unembarrassed spokesman in af-
airs at home" as he actually demands !
n his statement, to reconstruct in ,
'eace times the great industrial {
fairs Of the Nation in the same way, ,
n unmpeded conformity with what
yer socialistic doctrines, whatever ,
unlimited governmentownership no I
ions. whatever hazy whims may hap {
zen to possess him at the time, but ,
rst and above all with absolute COM
nitment to free trade with all the .
rorld, thus giving to Germany out Of 7
and the fruits Of victory greater 4
han she could win by fighting a hun !,