Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-09-27
LEADERS OPPOSED BOTH
THE WAR AND THE
DRAFT
KITCH|N WAS ANT|-NAR
Republican Congressman De-
clares BOurbOns Are Trying
to MOnOpOlize Patriotic
War Spirit Of Nation


Republican leader, in a speech in the
house recently attacked the war record
of the Democratic majority, contrast
ing It with that of the Republican
minority.
Speaker Clark, Democratic Leader
Kitchin and Chairman Dent, of the
house military committee, Were singled
out for comment on their attitude and
activities, and Chairman Ferris, of the
Democratic congressional campaign
committee, was accused of unfair
criticism of the Republican record for
campaign purposes. "Would the sup
port of the war have been any less
vigorous if a Republican had been
speaker instead of the honored Champ
Clark, who opposed the declaration of
war and went out of his way to defeat
the draft?" asked Mr.. Gillette.
Kitchin Was Anti-War
would the sinews of war have been
any less ample or more sectionally
provided if Republican had been ut
the head of the ways and means COM
mittee instead of Mr.. Kitchin, who al
so voted against the war and against
the draft? Would necessary war leg
islation have been retarded any more
If at that momentous juncture a Re-
publican had been chairman of the
military committee instead of Mr..
Dent, from whose hands the admins
tration program of the draft had to
be taken and carried thru by Repub-
lican? And so might proceed with
the other committees"
Mr.. Gillett said he believed that Mr.
Ferris twas the first to stain the col
umns of the records with partisan
tinge, from which they had so long
been free" He added that the speech
was intended as a campaign document
like others, for distribution under Mr..
Ferris frank.
Capitalize Patriotism
Mr.. Ferris recent allusion that the
last two Democratic congresses appro-
priated more money for the army and
navy than the preceding two Repub-
hcan Congresses, declared Mr.. Gillett,
SHOWS that some in the Democratic
party recognize public opinion too well
to dare to say with Mr.. Creel that
they thank God we were not prepared
when the war broke out"
"And letters are being systematical-
" sent out by the same Democratic
chairman" he added, pressing the
same argument and trying to monop-
olize as q Democratic asset the pa
triotic war spirit which now inspires
the nation"
Referring to preparedness, Mr.. Gill
lett asserted that during the fifteen
wears before this war it was the main
body of the Republican party and its
leaders which vigorously favored
preparation and it was the main body
of the Democratic party and its lead
ers which denounced and defeated it.
He said last winter there were four
seats in the house vacated by Demo-
crafts "who had returned to private
life for motives of self-interest in Or
der to increase their pecuniary in
comes" while four vacant Republican
seats were those of men who went to
"serve their country, not at official
desks, but in the fighting ranks"
Impartial Evidence
The statement of the National Sc
curity league selecting eight measures
of the last two congresses, which 1t
regarded most vital to the war, was
pointed to by Mr.. Gillett as showing
that seven men voted wrong on all
eight measures. "of these seven," he
said, "six were Democrats and one Re
publican. Forty-seven men voted
right on all eight measures and OF
them four were Democrats and forty
three were Republicans. l do not
maintain that the test was in all re-
spects q just one but it was made by
an impartial non-partisan committee
and Is one of the significant straws
which shows that the claim OF super
Tor foresight made by the Democratic
chairman is ridiculOusly unfounded.
The next congress, Mr.. Gillett con-
eluded, viii have to face the postwar
prOblems, and because Of industrial
centers being in the northern states,
he argued Republican congress could
batter solve these than q Democratic
house composed of many southern
msmbsrs.
M. GiIlOtFs declaration that the
-. nm Who were most prominent
y tS.hrslS Of preparedness were Col
,-sr ~ ol,vslt, consral Wood and the
-. Tls.,mtatvS GHrdnhr, al Re-