The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-11-23
THE STRIP

III Ill nOuSdnu tulCI VI o'OihhhNA
from America. France. England and the more enlightened
democracies of the world were asked to name the biggest man
this war has developed probably eight hundred would name
David Lloyd George, former chancellor of the exchequer, Tor
mer minister of munitions, premier of England and head OF
tbe ministry since the forced retirement of Herbert Asquth.
AS chancellor he financed the war for England and helped
to finance it for her allies, when financing was hard. Then
he munitioned England and helped to munition her allies when
munitoning was hard. And then he united England and her
provinces and unified her forces when discord was rife, And
above all and over all he kept her united and has her united
in spite of Lansdowne and other powerful paclfHt or com
promise leaders who have watched with eagle eye for a rift
that could be made a breach.
But George, a party leader in times of peace, knew no
party in time of war. He had men of all parties in his min
istry and he had men of every party fighting for him. even
against those of their own party. And they trusted hm' o
they knew he would seek no partisan advantage from the
power they gave him in a common cause.
Now England faces the problem of peace and reconstruc-
ton. a work already well begun. And the great war ministry,
the greatest, perhaps, in the history of the empire, is about to
be dissolved and new elections called, and Lloyd George has
himself sounded the keynote of the campaign. And the issue
is. Shall England have a coalition government, for the work
of reconstructiOn?"
In other wor DIS, shall all the people who gave or offered
everything to the winning of the war and the triumph of their
ideals, have a voice in the solution of the problems out of
which are to come the fruits of the victory so dearly bought?
Or are these problems and the glory of the victory to be used
to entrench in power some section, some class, some interest
to the exclusion Or even to the injury of some other?
If Lloyd George is not sustained on that issue Lloyd George
will no longer be premier of England. He quits, for the voice
of the people is final and obedience is instant.
Recently we had an election. If there was an issue upon
which the people could divide it was raised at the eleventh
hour and the keynote of that campaign was also sounded by
the head of the government, but it was an appeal for the cleo
ton of candidates of one party.
When we entered the war all our allies mao already lis
carded party government by forming coalition cabinets. This
was suggested to the president repeatedly, by distinguished
members of his own party more frequently than by others.
But he did not hear and it was not pressed. Measure after
measure, including the biggest appropriation bill congress
ever passed, went through without a republican mo" and the
states that republicans represented were paying the bulk OF
the cash.
The problems of peace were in sight. And we were I'M
prepared. while other nations had their machinery of organ
izaion at work. And a resolution was introduced in the sem
ate providing for a committee from the two houses, consisting
of an equal number from each party, to investigate and formu-
late the legislation necessary to these problems.
But the president said, in effect, that was his business, and
Senator Overman introduced a bill conforming to the presi-
dents plan, and providing for a commission to be appointed
by himself. Instead of congress legslahng on its own 1nfor-
nation it must waive its own responsibility to the people and
mt it's rubber stamp on the legislation proposed by the presi-
dent after reading the reports of those he might appoint. Leg
islation was being transferred from congress to the president;
the veto power from the president to congress. And in his
appeal to the people the president said, among other things:
"f you hav approved of my leadership and wish me to
continue to be your unembarrassed spokesman in affairs a home
and abroad I earnestly beg that you will express yourselves n
mistakably to that effect by returning a democratic majority to
both the senate and house Of representatives"
And they didn't do either, yet the president still wants his
commission.
And the president said:
81 am your servan and will accept your judgment without
But he still wants his commission, and wants it before
the members elected in answer to his appeal can take their
seats.
And the president said:
1.-THE leaders of the minority in the present congress have
unquestionably been pro-wa but they have been anttadminis-
traton"