South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-01
c. D. P. LEADERS
FOLLOW INDIANA
Pace for Congressional Cam
paign Staged at Indianapo-
lis From Washington.
News.Times specIaI seTvice:

Spokesman Of the minority party.
at the behest Of Will II. Hays. chair
man OF the republican national COM
mittee, have decided 10 make an
aggressive fight" for control Of the
senate and house in the forthcoming
fall elections
The decision OF the republican
chieftains was reached. according
10 the New York Times, at a series
of conferences held here recently.
Although the names of those who
agreed with Hays that the presi-
dents party should be driven from
power in the legislative branch of
the government were not revealed,
il is understood that Sens. Penrose
of Pennsylvania and New and Wat
son of Indiana were among those
who accepted the party chairman's
decision.
1t developed at the conferences,
according TO the Times. that while
majority Of the republicans in the
senate and house favored engaging
in political battle for partisan ad-
vantage, in the midst OF a world
war. a very considerable minority
of republican statesmen opposed a
campaign TO gain control Of either
branch of congress.
This latter group, which was over
ridden by the Hays enrose- Watson
clique. took the position that it
would be inadvisable at this critical
juncture to attempt to embarrass
na
the view, shared by the great mass
of Americans, that the war is in no
sense a party war but one in which
the whole country. irrespective OF
politics, is engaged. they argued
that the responsibility of conducting
the war rested in the president as
the comman der-in-c chief of the army
and navy, and as he was TO remain
president until March. 1921. he
should not be burdened with an
opposition congress during the re-
mainder Of his term.
Indiana Starts Campaign.
The matter has been debated
with great vigor for some time"
said the Times The advocates of
a vigorous campaign insisted that
the party ought to welcome respon-
sibility, in view of the criticisms its
mem ers had made. and for that
reason insisted on trying to sweep
the democrats from control both in
house and senate. Their view pre-
vailed. as they are strongly in the
majority"
The action of the national repub-
lican leaders followed. as was 10 be
expected, the announced determine
ton of Indiana organiza ton repub-
leans, in the Indiana state conven-
ton, to fight the present admins
tration from the president down.
The platform adopted by the In
dianapolis gathering, it has been
asserted in responsible republican
circles. is to be used as the basis
for political attack upon the presi-
dent and his followers in all states
Chairman Hays is credited with
having framed this declaration Of
party principles. II is clearly reac-
tiOnary in tone and antagonistic to
the spirit and trend of the times
One paragraph in the platform
would commend itself to fair-mind-
ed men, if its sincerity had not been
disproven IN a speech made at the
convention by Sen. Harry New, rec
ognized sponsor of Chairman Hays
and himself once the head of the
republican national committee.
The plank referred TO read:
We hereby denounce any criti-
cism of public officials, high or low.
when such criticisms are inspired
by partisanship, malice or disloy-
atty"
Sen. New evidently had not read
the platform, or the paragraph
quoted above, because when it came
his turn as permanent chairman Of
the convention 10 speak he launched
into an attack on Mr. Wilson that
refuted the non-partisan professions
of his associates. He said:
News Violent Attack.
"The president is the most astute
leader the democratic party has ever
had, the shrewdest in his methods.
the most uncompromising in his
partisanship. OF any man who has
occupied the white house since the
days Of Andrew Jackson. He is
partisan in everything he does or
thinks-as adroit as he is persist
ent."
There was not one word either
in the platform adopted by the In
diana repU bhcans or in the speeches
Of Sens. New and Watson OF praise
Of the president or his administra-
ton. The platform ignored him.
Sen. Watson was critical, Sen. New
was abusive
Commenting upon Sen. News
speech the Bloomfield GndD Dem
ocrat said
NO more savage attack has been
made on a president Of the United
States by a senator than Harry New
made on Pres't Wilson before the
republican state convention. The
speech was written and he followed
his manuscript closely. He had
scarcely read a page until anger
and rage were visible in every fea-
ture and every movement Of the dis
tinguished senator When he
charged that the president is par
tisan in everything he does or
thinks a part Of the audience
cheered the vehement assertion. bur
.,