The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-08-23


tic majority who can not get beyond
the raw cotton stage of industry,
headed by Kitchin, who confessed that
he voted for the last revenue bill with
his eyes shut.
Is the advice of the minority sought
Not at all. At a time when the
strength and talent of the Nation
should be commandeered for war, they
are prescribed and jeered at as rep
resentatives of Bib Business; but what
would we do if Big Business were not
on the job? Any legislation proposed
by them is ignored or pigeonholed be-
] cause they are Republicans and there
fore should be relegated to the chorus
in the legislative burlesque which is
taking place. But if there is any sani-
ty left in the country there will be
change of control after the November
elections, and we will win this war
without bursting our own hearts in
the effort, or being metamorphosed in
to socialistic monstrosity incapable
of being identified by the boys on their
return from the fields of war.
This is a free country and if the ad-
ministration or anyone else does not
like the prominence Col. Roosevelt
has attained by his aggressive advo-
cacy of preparedness and vigorous
prosecution of the war, the country
will be glad to welcome any number of
competitors in the same line of activ-
ity. There is always room at the top.
IL II IL -.
very extensively in manufacturing and
in lighting, emphasizes the need of
legislation that will result in far great
er use of water power. The power
now unused could be utilized as a SUBJ
stitute for coal in the production of
electric light and in furnishing motive
power for machinery. The present
emergency impresses upon the coun-
try the losses sustained by reason of
neglect in the past 1t is perhaps too
late to develop water powers that will
afford any relief before the present
coal shortage ends. AS to that no one
can tell. But it is certain that there
should be legislation that will encour-
age men of capital and enterprise to
invest in water power development, at
the same time guarding against mon
opoly and extortion. In great many
instances, perhaps in majority of
cases, water power project involves
uncertainties that make the venture
an undesirable one. In order to induce
men to take the risk of loss, there
must be held out to them the prospect
of large profit in case of success.
Nothing can be hoped for from legis-
lation that requires the investor to
take the risk of loss while barring
him from large profit in case of sue
sess. This subject will come up in
the House soon after the termination
of the present recess and it is sub
ject which challenges the best thought
of the membership of that body. 1t
is not to be enacted but it is expected
that some law will be framed that will
result in the building of dams, fumes,
turbines, and factories. There is no
conservation in letting the water run
idly from the mountains to the sea.
For some reason best known to
themselves but without much prospect
of their gaining any advantage by it,
Democrats are denying that President
Wilson ever used the expression "Too
proud to fight" Because of this de-
nial, Republicans over the country
have been writing to Washington for
explicit information as to the time,
the place and the occasion of the re-
mark. The time was May 10, 1915,
three days after the sinking of the
Lusitania. The place was Philadel-
phia. The occasion was the naturali-
zation of several thousand foreign
born citizens who had just taken the
oath Of citizenship. AS Congress was
not in session, the speech of the Pres
ident was not published in the Con-
gressional Record, nor as public doc
ument, hence it is not available for
public distribution. The expression
will be found on page lit of Estate
Papers and Addresses" by Woodrow
Wilson, published by the Review of
Reviews. 1t reads as follows "There
is such a thing as man being too
proud to fight. There is such thing
as nation being so right that it does
not need to convince others by force
that it is right" That was the inter-
probation of the spirit of America
which went to the Kaiser and to the
Allies.
According to Senator McKellar, of
Tennessee, 80 per cent of the credit
for the production of ships and other
munitions of war belongs to labor,
which, he declares, has been more
patriotic than any other class of citi-
zens since the country entered the
war. This sample of the Senator's
acumen will cause the American pub
lie to look askance at any statement
he may make in the future. Senator
McCumber, of North Dakota, present.
ed his argument for the prosecution
some weeks ago, and if anyone desires
- ,.;IJIo MoKaIlor,o tot fbo~