New-York tribune., 1918-01-25
Continued from page /

eminent er and in speeding up the work
" 'he war; and it is no less our duty
o' perhaps should change that and
gay ~ Is only less our duty-to expose
ine"ciency wherever it is found. to ex-
pose ~ IN order to speed up the war
ana make the war more effective. and
therefore to oppose every official. no
matter where he is, who. by deeds of
OMISSION or commission, in any wav
lalls snort in his duty to speed up the
waf wa. ana 70 make the strength Of the
o",'eo states as quickly as possible
ana as efficiently as possible felt in the
great conflict.
views as to Duty of Congress
II come here at a time when oues.
'ohS nave been raised about the in
Nestlgatlons carried on by certain com
m''tecs of Congress. l shall give nv
own views as to the duty of Congress
20 investigate, not in my own words.
out IN the words of another. | quote:
Unless Congress have and use
every means of acquainting itself
with the acts and disposition of tho
administrative agents of the govern
meht the country must be helpless to
earn now 1t IS being served. and unless
congress both scrutinize these things
ana sltt them Ivy every form Of dis
cuSSlon the country must remain in
emoarrassing and cripplng Ignorance
OF every force which it is most i'm
portant that it should understand and
direct. ''''0
"'fhc Informing function of Con-
even to its legislative function. The
argument is not only that the dis
cussed and interrogated administra
e'oh is the only pure and efficient ad-
mlnlstration. but more than that-that
the only we'll self governing people
is that people which discusses and IN
terrogates its administration
ms quotation which have given
You admirably sets forth the duty Of
congress at all times. and especially at
sucn time as this. 1t is from n work
on Congressional government bv tho
then Professor Woodrow Wilson, 1t is
the principle upon which | shall act
and upon which | hope every upright
and faithful servant Of the people in
Congress will act
Partisanship Disregarded
In the two houses of Congress dur
ing the year that is just closing-the
Year that opened with the sending Of
Germany's note of January 81 last.
which was in effect declaration of war
against the United States-there has
been fine disregard of partisanship
among the members of all parties
taken as whole in Congress. There
mas been almost no attempt to hamper
the prosecution of the war by inject
ing partisanship or making party
harangucs. This has been the rule rho
most conspicuous exception was fur
nished the other day by Senator Stone.
OF Missouri. when Senator Stone made
a strong partisan speech. But the par-
tsanshlp was the least offensive Dor
ton OF his speech. 1t was also a men
daclous speech but the mendacitv WAS
not the most offensive portion of the
spcech-wh was perhaps not wholly
uncharacteristic.
The really, offensive portion Of the
speech was that it was an attack ON
the interests of the United States, and,
therefore. an insidous effort. on behalf
OF Germany. This is the same Senator
Stone who year from last fall was
engaged in defending himself from the
revelations Of Mr.. Bernard Ridder as
to his Mr.. Stones. negotiations for the
German vote and his effort to persuade
the Germans that he, Senator Stone,
was speaking with authority, when he
said that the government would only
make believe to be against them, but
would really be for them.
The Same Senator Stone
"This is the same Senator Stone who
voted against the declaration of war
last year. He is the same Senator
Stone who engaged in fllibustering op-
eratlons against our taking action to
defend ourselves. filibustering opera
tions Of the kind which drew public
rebuke to those engaged in them from
the President of the United States
Senator Stone did all he could to
serve Germany against the United
States by preventing the entry of the
United States into the war against Ger
many, and he now does all he can to
serve Germany against the United
States by endeavoring to prevcnt the
United States from becoming efficient
in the war against Germany
"The worst offence that can be com
mitted is untruthfully to assai an eff
tcient public servant Next in evil
doing comes the offence Of the man
who untruthfully defends all inefficient
public servant from having his incffi-
cheney exposed.
~ care not snap of my finger for
the politics of the man who is doing