Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-30
COL. ROOSEVELT
CONTINUED from Page one)

NSSpeusSSS s'Ssss - O''~S
Of pro-war Republicans. He does
not ask for the defeat Of anti war
Democrats. On the contrary. he sup
ports such men IL although anti-war
the are pro- administration. He
does not ask for loyalty to the Ma
ton. He asks only for support OF
himself. There is not the slightest
suggestion that he disapproves Of
disloyalty to the nation. I do not
doubt that he does feel some disap-
prevail of such disloyalty; but appar-
entity this feeling on his part Is so
tepid that 1t slips from his mind when
he contemplates what he regards as
the far greater sin of failure in ad-
herence to himself.
What Does President Mean?
l ask all patriotic Americans to
consider just what is meant when
the President says that in the pres
ent Congress 1.-The leaders Of the min
ority although unquestionably pro-
war have been anti administration"
These leaders supported the Admin
istration when a declaration of war
was needed. They supported it when
there was a demand for the draft.
They supported it when we sent the
army overseas. They supported ev-
cry demand for money whether by
taxation or by loans. They support
ed it or gave it initiative and guild
ance on every issue where it stood
for vigorous prosecution of the war;
and they supported it on these issues
when half the leaders of President
Wilson's own party opposed him
when he had committed himself to
war measures-and yet President
Wilson now makes partisan appeal
in favor of the Democrats who OPP
posed the war measures and against
the Republicans who supported them.
Now, what does Mr.. Wilson mean
when he speaks Of these leaders as
being, although pro war;" yet anti
Administrations" He means that
when the War Department was ad-
ministered with utter inefficiency
they Investigated the matter and in
sisted upon efficiency. He means
that when they found that nothing
effective was being done in ship
building they insisted that the work
| be speeded up. He means that when
| they found that six hundred million
dollars had been spent for airplanes
| and yet that not an airplane had
reached our soldiers at the front they
| insisted that our soldiers should get
| the airplanes for which the people
| had paid. Mr.. Wilson regards it as
anti administration" to demand that
our gallant men at the front receive
| the guns and auto-rifles and tanks
| and airplanes and shoes and clothing
for which Congress has appropriated
SO many billions of dollars. The en-
tire offense Of the Republican leaders
in Mr.. Wilson's eyes is that they have
demanded that inefficiency. waste and
extravaganza be remedied. Such a
| demand he treats as "anti- admins
| tration." In other words, the attitude
which patriotic people regard as pro-
United States he regards as anti ad-
ministration.
Return the Anti-War Men
I hold, on the contrary, that these
Republican leaders have in a great
| crisis shown complete indifference to
\ party and complete devotion to the
| Union. They have disinterestedly
supported Mr.. Wilson in everything
he did that was right, and fearlessly
opposed him where he was wrong.
! Over half the Democratic leaders
I yvhano ho iS
him when he was right, and support
ed him when he was wrong. He
urges that the people return to Con-
gress the men who were anti-war but
who shielded the failures Of the adj
ministration. He urges that the peo-
pie defeat for Congress the men who
were pro- war but who sought to rem
| edy the failures of the administration.
| He puts loyalty to the Nation second,
and adherence to his personal leader
ship first. The Republican leaders
whom he assails have put loyalty to
the Nation ahead Of all other consid-
erations and have conditioned their
| support of every executive official
solely upon the efficiency with which
| that official serves the Nation.
And ask you to consider one thing
more, you Republicans and Independ-
| ents and you Democrats who decline
to put cringing subservience to any
man, ahead of the Republic. Indeed,
| l appeal most Of all to the high
minded and patriotic Democrats
whose boys are over in the army side
| by side with the boys Of their Re-
publican neighbors. and who do not
wish to see these loyal neighbors
| treated as enemies of the Republic,
President Wilson says that Republi-
cans are not good enough to serve
the Republic in Congress at this time.
But they are good enough to die for
the Republic in the army and navy!
They are good enough to pay the
taxes and subscribe to the Loan!
We have sent our sons and our bro
theirs to spill their blood like water
, overseas under the flag; we have Civ
en- our strength and our money with
out stint to serve the country at
home, to float the Loans, to back up
the war activities of every kind; and
no. we are told that the blood of our
sons, and the money saved at the
expense of our wives and little chill
'dren, do not entitle us to any word
in saying how the war is to be waged!
Or what are the terms on which
peace is to be made. or what shall be
our policies after the war!
Fit to Die but Not to Counsel