The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-01-25
republicans and only fourteen demo
Turned on Wilcox.

Turned on Wilcox.
Turning to Chairman Wilcox of the
Republican national committee, the
Missouri senator said, before he in
troduced his "star Witness" he would
cite the statement made to the press
by Mr.. Wilcox regarding the incom-
petence of the democratic party and
Its effect on coming congressional
elections. He said a meeting of the
republican leaders had been called
at ST. Louis on February Is to inau-
gurate a winter campaign.
Colonel Roosevelt has engaged a
hall in st. Louis to make war speech
the day before the committee meet
ing" Senator Stone continued.
II now introduce my star witness.
Theodore Roosevelt himself-whom
l characterize as the most seditious
man of consequence in America. The
heart of this man is aflame with in
ordinate ambition and he runs amuck.
His chief thought is not to help the
government but always of Roosevelt.
Almost every day this man speaks in
bitter and contemptuous disparage-
ment of the president and the majority
members of this congress. Every week
for long time he has been and still
is publishing under contract for a
money consideration-think of it, for
mOney-villainous screeds in The
Kansas City Star-attacking the
president and the government. These
Roosevelt contributions are repro
duced in numerous important news
papers. Whatever may be said of the
papers reproducing these disloyal
utterances The Kansas City Star is
chiefly responsible"
Citing criticisms of Mr.. Roosevelt's
editorials, Senator Stone continued:
Utterances Regarded Reasonable.
''For example Roosevelt denounces
the president and the government in
terms that would subject almost any
other citizen to arrest-yet his utter
ances which say would be denounced
as reasonable if made by others are
widely published without even Off
cial protest.
81 have quoted these utterances of
Roosevelt, first, to show that his
Wanted claim, self-advertised, of a
superior brand of patriotism is emp
ty, and secondly, to inquire why Roose-
welt may say things with impunity
which citizen of lesser consequence
dare not even repeat without danger
of Indictment for disloyalty."
At this point the senator made his
reference to Roosevelt as an aid to the
kaiser and then turned to the con-
gressional war Investigations. He did
not question the right of congress to
make the inquiries but rather their
purpose and publicity given to ma
tional difficulties.
81 cannot believe he said "that,
world wide advertisement of alleged
deficiencies in our war activities, even
if ultimately found true, is necessary
to bring about Investigations into al
most everything that might be made
the subject of criticism of the admin
istration.
Il do not mean that administrative
errors should be concealed from our
people. Of course mistakes have been
made by the government-doubtle
many and grave mistakes. In the cir |
cumstances that was inevitable, but is
it necessary for us to stand on, a
housetop and proclaim these mis-
takes with loud voice to the whole |
world?"
Praise For Administration.
Considering everything, Mr.. Stone
asserted that the achievements of this |
congress and the administration ''sig-
nalized a degree of marked success
parallel in the worlds his
tory. Undue publicity given present |!
he said, ''had advertised the |
nations weakness to the enemy.
THE time for Haunting them is
past" he continued. "This is the time
for universal national sympathy and |
solidarity. My appeal now is to my
colleagues on this side to stand firm
ly against influences calculated to
mislead us, and l appeal to my COL
leagues on the other side of this cham
Der to thrust back the evident rising
tide of partisanship"
The republican leaders purpose, he |
is to elect congress out |
Of harmony with the president.
What would happen to the Wilson
administration if the republican party |
should have control of the next con-
gress?" he asked eff I. were to adopt
the use of Billy Sunday classics the |
president would have hell of a time"
In concluding the Missouri senator
statistics of what he termed |
were partisan appointments of state |
war committees. In New York, he said. /
republican governor appointed |
eighty-two republicans and three
democrats, while in Ohio, demo-
cratic governor named eighteen re-
oublicans and ten democrats. In Cali |
fornia the republican governor he as
serted, named sixty-three republicans
and four democrats. He gave the sta |
tlstics to show, he asserted, that
democratic governors had been non !,
partisan in their appointments while
republican governors had not. |,
pioneer Resident Guest at Social SEES.
Son of WeII-known Resident of This
City Passed Away in st.