The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-12-13


ment. He acts upon the assumption
that only a postmaster general can
run the telephones, telegraphs, cables,
and the postoffice department. Mr..
Wilson endeavors to do the political
thinking for the country in either
peace or war; He is, in his own opin-
ion, the only man who never thinks.
wrong, and when he changes his mind
it is time for the entire country to
change. Men who do not agree with
him are nervous and excited Politi-
cal parties that do not agree with him
have not had new idea in thirty
years.
"If we were to accept bureaucracy's
picture of this country, what doleful
song we should sing. What detected
countenances we should carry to our
daily tasks if we really believed the
assumption that the success of private
industry and public business depends
upon the wisdom concentrated in so
small group of men. To what low
stage in civilization must we concede
we have fallen, if we acquiesce in
bureaucracy's view of our intellectual
and moral decadence.
"But there is no need to be despond-
ent. An optimistic spirit has pre-
vailed in this country since the days
when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth
Rock. Without that optimism small
band of colonists would not have
thrown off the yoke of autocracy in
1776. Without that spirit of optim-
ism we should not have gridironed
this continent with rails of steel.
Without that optimism we should not
have taken the risks involved in sink
ing oil wells and mining shafts, fell
ing forests and conquering a wilder
ness. Without that optimism we
should not have stretched wires over
the land and cables under the sea.
Without that optimism we should not
have established here government of
the people, for the people, by the peo-
pie. ~ si
"And it is not optimism alone that
has made this nation great. Back of
that spirit Of hope and confidence
there has been intelligence, energy and
courage-a capacity to do, an eager
ness to do, and daring to do. And in
the whole, long, proud list of accom-
plishments of the people of this coun-
| try, there is not one for which bureau
cracy can claim credit. What sorry
| spectacle bureaucracy makes Of, it
tsGlf, then, when 1T tells the. people
of this country that they are incom-
petent or dishonest and must be guild
ed in all their activities by men who
never made success Of any produc-
tive enterprise. And what a sorry
spectacle the people of this country
will make of themselves if they stand
for the insult"
| The election has come and gone
and the state of the public mind is
clearly reflected in the returns.
Hobby was elected Governor of
Texas by the smallest vote cast for a
Democratic nominee in twenty years.
A great similarity in the size of the
vote and the size of the candidate.
But / want to mention some inn
portant matters.
President Wilson in prediction
statement said that the election of a
Republican Congress would mean
that his administration had been re-
pddiated and that the people ought
to repudiate the disloyalty of the Re-
publican party.
Mr. Wilson made the issue and the
Democratic party was overwhelmingly
defeated in the doubtful states. APP
proximately fifty Democratic con-
gressmen and senators lost their seats
in Congress.
Well may we ask the reason why.
AS Democrats we should be deeply
concerned over this unexpected de-
feat and efforts should be made at
once to prevent repetition Of an
other political disaster.
In the first place some little men
in high station helped the trouble
that brought defeat to our party,
The fact that Mr.. Wilson continued
to permit himself to be advised by two
men like Burleson and House could as
soon as the fact was well known have
no other effect than to awaken dis
trust and apprehension in the minds
of Democrats as well as Republicans
of Mr.. Wilson's fitness for leadership
as well as doubt of his judgment and
real discretion.
This is not said in any spirit of
spite, but in the interest Of truth that
some times must be told to avoI
future mistakes.