The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-23
Before We Can Bargain
BY William Almon Wolff of The Vigilantes.

suppose you made a bargain with
Jones, who lives across the street?
suppose he gave you his word to do a
certain thing-say, to pay back fifty
dollars that you lent him, as a friend
and n noiEhbor. without a note. With
out any evidence of Indebtedness? And
suppose he wantonly and cynically re-
fused TO keep his word? Probably
Things like that have happened to you
Ana then suppose that Jones came to
you, after while, chastised, perhaps,
by adversely, and said that. of course,
he had been wrong, and that, after q
while, he would discuss with you the
matter of paying YOU back your fifty
dollars, but that, meanwhile, he would
! ike TO enter into an arrangement with
| you to do certain things. What would
| you do? Wouldn't you tell him that il
was To your interest, as well as his, to
deal with him, you would--provided
you got n guarantee of good faith from
him? An agreement, say, sealed and
witnessed with a bond, probably, for
! the faithful performance of his part OF
the contract?
And suppose Jones drew himself up
stiffly, and said you were insulting him.
that his word was good. What would
you do? Tell him to so to the devil
I of course,
/ Germany guaranteed the neutrality
! of Belgium. Germany broke her word
! You can't trust the German govern
| meut that committed that monstrous
! breach OF faith any more than YOU
could trust Jones.
| Ihe German people are probably
pretty well disilusioned They have
suffered enough, it may be. to Chasten
them, and incline them to be neighborly
ana law abiding. But, as matters stand,
! ii isn't with the German people that
peace can be made. In England and in
france there are responsible govern
ments. In Germany there isn't. Pro-
Germans and German apologists use n
good deal OF camoufage in this mat
ter. Americans must go behind that
and realize the truth. The talk of
representative government in Germany
is part of that Camouflage. II centers
on the reichstag, which. in Germany, is
eQuiNalent-thc German apologists
would have You helieve--to parliament
in England or congress here. They
which its members are chosen. They
Will tell YOU that the system of pro-
portional representation is actually
more democratic than our own. Well
maybe II Is. 1t does give better repre-
Sentation TO minorities. Such a system
here would give the republicans in the
south voice in our government.
But, heavens above what's the use
Of the best system in the world of
electing member of body that is
helpless after it is elected, What can
the reichstag dor Talk, Suppose it
disapproNcs of the chancellor's poll
cies? Nothing happens. If British
or French ministry is beaten in a
vote in parliament or the chamber of
deputies that minister falls and a new
one comes in. That isn't true in Ger
manN And until there is a ministry in
Germany responsible to the reichstag
and so TO the German people l. for one,
don't see how there can be peace
IN which it will be possible to believe.
What good are the treaties, the prom
Uses, the agreements. Of a government
that doesn't keep It's word? You
Wouldt trust Q man. like Jones', who