Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-01
mo One-Man Power" Say Roosevelt and
Taft Joining in Urging Republican Congress

have welcomed action by the presi'
dent. which would have eliminated
all questions OF party politics. In,
stead of this, partisan lines have
been strictly drawn from the FIRST
and now the president announces
that only democrats can be en-
trusted with future power and only
those democrats who do his will
Because of the reflection on other
patriotic Americans, we appeal tor
fair play,
FOUR GREAT TASKS.
1.-THE next congress will serve
from March 4, 1919, to March 4,
1921. In that period the war must
be fought to unconditional sur
render, unless this Is achieved be-
fore.
1.-THE terms of world peace
must be settled.
"The bureaucratic administra-
ton, after expanding billions OF
treasure and exercising more abb
solute power than any admins.
tration in our history, must give
an account of its stewardship.
"The change from war condi-
tons to peace must be brought
about with the least disturbance
and the work of reconstruction
must be broadly begun.
Republicans Needed.
"A republican congress will be
much better qualified than one con-
trolled by democrats to aid the
country in adopting the measures
seeded for these four great tasks.
First, even as a minority party the
republicans made the winning Of the
war possible by passing the origina!
kaft bill. Without this we could
1ot have trained and landed the two
millions of men now in France. AS
, minority party the republicans
orced upon a reluctant president
md secretary of war after an in
urious delay of four months, the
draft act, without which
We could not put two more millions
It the front next July. The speaker,
he leader and the chairman of the
military committee Of the democrat
C house opposed the original draft
With all the vigor possible.
Fight One-Man Power.
"The new senate must approve, by
wo-thirds vote, the terms of peace.
Those terms should be settled, not
~ one man only. 1t is one-man
control we are fighting in this war
o suppress. The peace treaty
must be approved by the great body
If the American people. The pres
dent has indicated a willingness to
make a peace by negotiation. He
las not demanded, as he might have
lone in three lines, that which the
people demand, an uncon-
iitional surrender. His exchange
If notes with Germany has caused
/ deep concern among our people,
est he may, by mis- parleying with
Ter, concede her peace around a
council table, instead of sentence
rom court.
"The IA points which the presi-
lent and Germany assume that they
lave already agreed upon are so
general and vague that such a peace
would be no treaty at all, but only
/ protocol to an interminable dis
:ussion. The president is without
inal power to bind the United States
o those IA points, although his Ian
yuage does not suggest it. Still less
las he power to bind our noble al
les. We do not know that these
POINTS include all that our allies
nay justly demand, or do not con-
EIDE something they may justly
For what they have done
or US, we owe our allies the highest
rood faith.
ut is of capital importance that
We should now elect senate which
hall be independent enough to in
erpret and enforce the will of the
American people in the matter of
his world peace, and not merely
ubmit to the uncontrolled will of
Mr.. Wilson.
Congressman Subservient.
"Nor can the attitude of the house
# representatives be ignored in this
,eace. Every affirmative obligation
binding the United States in that
realty must be performed by the
louse as part OF the congress. The
present democratic majority in the
louse has been subservient to the
will Of the president in every re-
pect except when critical issues in
he conduct Of the war have been
involved. The president has not
lesitated publicly to discipline those
f his party who have disagreed
With him, and the lesson has had its
fleet. A new democratic congress,
With its old leaders thus chastened.
viii offer no opposition to his will.
n democratic congress the Amer
can people will not have that ser
'ice of an independent, courageous,
coordinate branch of the govern
nent to moderate Mr.. Wilson's I'M
controlled will. 1t is not safe to
,ntrust to one man such unlimited
power. 1t is not in accord with the
traditions of the republic.
Public Must Know.
1.-THE republicans voted without
objection billions to be expended
~ this administration. Six hundred
md forty millions for aviation were
given to the executive to build air
planes without a single limitation
IS to the manner or method of it's
expenditure. A senate committee
has deplored the waste and failure
n the use Of that money. The debts
which have beef created by this
war, the people will be paying to
he third and fourth generation.