Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-01-27
"As WE STOOD By LINCOLN"

War Address to congress anu tnIee
days after Congress declared that a
state of war existed with Germany,
Elihu Root said:
For years to come the Democrats
! will be in control in Washington, and,
as we love our country, we must give
tn that party our whole-hearted, earn
est sincere support, just as if every
man there was a Republican. This IS
the only way one can prove not only
our love for our country but that the
Republican party loves its country
more than place and power.
| eve need no coalition government
to make us loyal We will make :.
coalition with every Democrat
in the country. The coalition of the
United States will be of all its peo-
pie to hold up the hands of the gov
eminent of the United States, no mat
ter from which party it comes"
Mr.. Root did not utter these noble
and pat 'j0tic sentiments in the ex-
pectation that there would be no mis-
takes in the conduct of the war, that
the great machine that had to be con-
structed would always run smoothly
and that nothing would ever go amiss.
Too wise and experienced in govern
ment to indulge in such delusions, he
looked far ahead into the future:
cit is necessary to make national
army with singleness of purpose and
sympathy, responsible to one Com
mander in Chief, and not stoop tc
chickering's.
"There will be criticism and fault
findings and discomfort, but that has
been incident to all our wNrs. It is
an incident to our free-and- easy
democracy. 1t will come again inevi
tably. Do not let US join the band Of
faint-hearts when the time CT criticism
comes, or withhold our support When
the inevitable shortcomings of demo.
cracy must come, then it is time fol
stout hearts to stand by their coun
try and say that no matter what mis-
takes are made We will stand by oul
government and our country.
eve will not permit the chorus o
discomfort and criticism to obscur'
the real instincts of patriotism. W.
will stand by the government now ant
all shout hosannas. We will stand By
the President as we stood by Lincoln
when the faint-hearted were cryinE
that the war was a failure"
1t is in conceivable that the Re
publicans Of the Senate and Houst
will compromise themselves by sup
porting the vicious and unconstitu
tional War Cabinet Bill which is de
signed to depose the President an,
which therefore must inevitably mud
die the whole conduct of the war. l
! is inconceivable that they will Civ
their support to any measure of Ripe
legislation affecting the war admins
tTation. The war cannot be take
from the President. Direction can't b
vested elsewhere. To NEEDLE is to in
vite disaster Congress cannot carr
on war That is an executive function
and when Congress undertakes t
override the wishes and the const
tutional authority of the President i
the conduct of such war as this,
imperils the nation. More than that,
imperils civilization itself.
There may be gentlemen in Cor
gress who think they are more CON
petent than Woodrow Wilson to direc
this war. There may be gentleme
who think they could select a NOR
satisfactory cabinet. There may b
gentlement who think that in his posi-
ton they would be omnipotent an
omniscent and infallible. There ma
| be gentlemen who are convinced tina
the only successful way to make wa
or the Kaiser is to make war on tn
President of the United States who
making war on the Kaiser. But W
tdo not believe that the American peo