Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-12-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

Washington, D. C-President Wilson
has delivered his message to congress
and departed for Europe. The country
prepared for the European trip by sew
eral weeks Of discussion, but it was not
prepared for his message to congress.
1t is hard to determine at this time how
the country will take it. The conserv
alive press declares it disappointing
probably because the message shows no
change in peace plans and because Of
politics, since the large interests for
the last siv months have used their pub
licity to discredit Wilson.
There is little or no cheer in it, on
the other hand for progressives and
radicals. Those who had hoped for
constructive program for getting back
to peace basis and for measures look
ing toward new day for the common
people, are met with the suggestion
that the country should be allowed to
reconstruct itself. Even on the dispo-
sition of the railroads the president
would not express an opinion, but re-
sorted to the camouflage of "a dif1cult
problem His unqualified Endorsement
of lower taxation Undoubtedly implies
let-up in the excess profits and big
private income taxes. Evidently the
plans of the great business interests of
the nation for reconstruction in their
own interests will meet no militant OPP
position in defense of the people from
the administration. President Wilson's
Encouragement of woman suffrage, how
ever, will please the progressives vitality
interested in that issue.
Peace Party Personnel.
The peace delegation to Europe now
includes, besides President Wilson, Rob-
ert Lansing, secretary of state; Henry
eral Tasker H. Bliss and Colonel E. M
House, the presidents confidential ad-
wiser on world questions. If traditional
methods are to be followed little fault
probably can be found with this commits
break away from traditional methods
sufficiently to allow direct representa-
ton of the great laboring and farming
President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor, for instance, has
just returned from a European tour
on which he was honored by all the
nabobs of the allied countries, but this
week he goes back to attend an in
ternational labor conference to meet
while the nabobs and potentates of
the world are deciding the fate Of world
democracy: The men most interested
in world democracy will thus look on
with such information as the peace con-
ference cares to give out. while men
issues. British labor, on the other hand,
will have a real peace delegate. Prob
ably if we likewise had had a militant
political labor and farmer movement,
we too could have placed man on the
nabob as we'll as the bob conference.
The Senate Fight.
Senator Borah of Idaho still holds to
his declaration that "Penrose must co."
so far as the leadership of the senate
finance committee in the new congress
is concerned.
Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania who
is in line for the Craftsmanship of that
committee, remarks that "Borah is only
one vote in the senate"
Under the rules of the senate the
a majority vote of the senate itself:
Under the custom which has prevailed
the Republicans in caucus have agreed
chairmen, and the Democrats in caucus
have similarly agreed upon their own
division of the jobs. Then the floor
leader of the majority party has taken
the men named therein be elected to
the committees designated. The mo-
ton has prevailed by unanimous vote.
This year, If Borah keeps up his d.
rect war against Penrosf there viii be
caucus, and the progressive group may
refuse to be bound by the caucus &C
ton That wa was u the case aa at the be- s
the pTogressives Voted for Senator
Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire
in the race for president pro +, temp o9r9
Republican vote was less than the
Democratic vote; in the new congress
the votes of Borah and one other Re-
publican senator will be enough to de-
permit the Democrats with their help
to control not only the Craftsmanship
of the finance committee but every other
committee place in the upper branch
Borah and Norris and La Toilette,
however, are Republicans by lifelong
association. They have no reason to be
grateful to the Democrats in the senate
during the past few years. Deep as is
their contempt for the political methods
and objects of the old guard Of their
own party, and determined as they are
to carry on the war to make the Repub-
lican party safe.fo decent citizens, they
feel bound to recognize that the Demo-
cratic gang in the senate is not a whit
better.
California Labor Program.
Members of congress have received
the California State Federation of
Labor a report dealing with wages and
the cost of living, and declaring that
the wage level must not be reduced dur
ing the reconstruction period
"Our resources Of labor and utilized
resources have been increased during
the war;" says the report, while those
Of other countries have been diminish
ed. We have practically everything
that the world needs, and we alone
among the Industrial nations seem to
be in position to export in vast
quantities the materials needed in re-
construction.
"For this reason the California
State Federation of Labor can see no
possible excuse for the cry that wages
shall be reduced to the pre-war stand
ard or that working hours shall be
lengthened The United States bureau