The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-12-20
Washington Letter.

washington, Dec. 16s-The Repub-
lican Publicity Association, through
its President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne.
Jr., today gave out the following state
ment from its Washington Headquar-
ters:
at is frequently remarked, and is
doubtless true. that the country places
upon Congress an estimate very much
the same as that which Congress
places upon itself. If congress takes
its duties and responsibilities lightly,
the contry naturally acquires the same
view. If Congress abandons its own
judgment to acquiesce in the judg-
ment or some department of Bureau
head, the country is likely to assume
that the judgment of the administra-
tive branch is better, notwithstanding
the more reasonable conclusion that
the consensus of opinion of 531 men
from all, parts of the country is more
likely to be right. 1t is a characterize
ic of humanity to have confidence in
the man who has confidence in himself.
until experience shows that his conf
dence is ill-founded.
Probably no man ever occupied the
White. House who seemingly had more
confidence in himself than Woodrow
Wilson, and seldom with less justifica-
ton. 1t would be difficult to find an
instance of any man prominent in pub
lie life who has been compelled so often
to acknowledge the dnsoundness of his
views by radical change of mind. Nat
urally, the people of the country took
Mr.. Wilson very largely at his own
estimate of himself, but experience
has created widespread conviction
that his judgment is an unsafe guide.
Substantial citizens finally, found
themselves unable to accept at its face
value language which its author, at
his convenience, twisted to mean
something fatty contradictory to its
plain intent. Having lost confidence
in the soundness of Judgment of the
President, the people last November
elected a Congress entertaining differ
ent economic views, and elected them
in direct opposition to the strongest
plea ever made by an executive for
endorsement. There can be but one
meaning to that act of the people
they desire that Congress shall assume
its proper place in the American
scheme of Government.
SIN spite of that expression direct
from the people, the President has
once more manifested his suureme
confidence in himself and has gone to
Europe to dictate the American view
point concerning the terms of what
will undoubtedly be the most import
ant treaty ever negotiated. Moreover,
he went without consulting either tie
people of the country or their chosen
representatives. He directly repudiat-
ed that section of the constitution
which says that he shall make treaties
with the advice of the Senate. For
tunately he cannot overthrow that
provision which requires ratification
by two-thirds vote of the Senate, I,
Because of this situation, unpalal-
leled in our history, it becomes the
duty of the Senate to take every step
which can aid it in acting advisedly
upon the treaty. Four things the Sem
ate should bear in mind-the Presi-
dents judgment is not sound, he has
repeatedly admitted, that it is not
sound, the country has agreed that it
is not sound, and the country desires
Congress to exercise to the full the
powers with which it is vested.
"In order to inform it's members
fully, the Senate should send to Eu-
rope at once carefully selected COM
mittee of its ablest members, chosen
equally from each of the parties, with
instructions to secure all information
that will be of use in deciding the
course the Senate should pursue when
it is confronted by the duty of ratify-
ing or rejecting the treaty as framed.
To assume that the Senate will ratify
the treaty pro forma is to set at
naught the plain provisions of the con-
stitution and to ignore the plain mean
ing of the vote of the people at the
November elections"
Copper pigs, ingots, etc., imported
into this country during the first nine
months of the current year amounted
cSN,VVV,VOo, SouiPdIcu Will lOo,UUU,-
900 pounds for the first nine months of
1914; lead, 156,000,0O0 pounds, COM
pared with 35,00O,0 900; nickel, 56,OO0,-
900 pounds for the year 1918, COM
pared with 2S,OO0,00O pounds for the
1914 period; plumbago, 1880 tons,
compared with $4,000 tons, $4,000
tons for the first nine months of 1917
1918 period (128, 100000 pounds for
the 1917 period) compared with 49,
100000 pounds for the 1914 period.
These figures, taken from the official
statistics of the Department of Com
merce are indicative of the falsity of
statements being published by free
traders to the effect that imports under
the Democratic tariff law show in
creases in value but not in volume.
Naturally there has been vast de-
mand for metals of all kinds for war
use, and it may have been found nee
essary to call on outside sources of
supply. But the point to remember is
that the countries producing these
metals in competition with the United
States, have now established a more
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