Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-09-27
discussed the situation fully.'

/
"More vigorous prosecution Of tn
war will be the Republican demand,
he returned. perhaps such real is
sues as involve an affirmative by on
party and negative by the other ma!
be lacking. That is due to the fac
that the Republican party for the du
ration of the war has abandoned thl
ordinary function of minority party
which is to hold up and oppose leg
islation by the majority. We have no
constituted a minority party in thai
sense, in fact, We may not properly b.
designated the minority party in the
House at all. In the major measures
designed to speed the war and develop
the war power Of the nation, the ad-
ministration has been obliged to turT
from its own unwilling leaders AND
look to eager patriots on the Republi.
can side to assume the responsibility
which really belonged to the Demo.
cratic party, but which it would moi
shoulder"
Republicans have done much Ia
stimulate governmental war energy
and constructive Republican criticism
has helped overcome Democratic neg
ligence and inefficiency that would
have scored heavily against US. Con-
stantly the course of the administra-
ton has Jagged behind Republican de-
mand.
Secretary of War Baker has re-
minded the country that the War De-
partment is seven or eight months
ahead>of its plans. But the answer is
that these plans are years behind; the
trouble, from the beginning, has been
the lack of plans, the lack of concep-
ton.
1--WE must elect a Republican con-
gress because a Republican Congress
will feel a greater sense of response
bility than merely to follow in the
wake of administration decision; be-
cause a Republican Congress will be
free to criticise and correct evils, and
force action, just as the Republicans
of Congress have been doing for sew
enteen months; because u Republican
Congress will stimulate the war ac-
tivities of the Government and stand
more firmly behind the real war aims
of the President than q Democratic
Congress would do. Every delay
means the sacrifice of thousands Of
American lives, and Republicans,
wherever they speed up the machin-
cry, are saving these lives.
"The Democratic leaders, including
the Speaker of the House, the floor
leader, chairmen of the committees,
including the chairmen Of the Mill
tary Affairs Committee, which had in
charge, opposed the passage of the
selective draft act. The Republican
leaders carried it to passage. When
the age extension act was before the
House, the Democratic leaders tried
to hamstring it with amendments and
again the Republicans assumed charge
and carried out the demands of the
Presidents military advisers.
Republican success in the coming
will be q guarantee against
compromise and an assurance of a
definite peace dictated by victory in
the field. These are the immediate
questions before the American peo-
ple."
"And what of the questions that |
will arise with the period of readjust-
ment?" l asked.
"They also are directly involved"
Mr.. Fess replied. "The problems which |
we must inherit from the war demand
study by the best minds of the nation.
Great economic problems will con-
front us, and, the public must be par
Toned for looking with distrust and
suspicion upon Democratic capacity to
iOlve them. Always the Democratic
party, when entrusted with leadership
las bOtched the economic policies under
which alone the prosperity ofthe peO-
Die can be assured.
"Under our seniority practice in
Congress, Democratic control Of COM
nittees and Legislation means South
I'm rule. ] do not attack Southern
ule from a sectional point Of view.
There is no South, in that sense. But
he South has supplied the members
Who return year after year and who
y right Of seniority assume the posts
4 leadership. With few EXCEPTIONS
hey are men inexperienced in the
road and great affairs Of national
ife, unframed, inexperienced, provin-
ial Floorleader Kitchin has proper
y pointed out that the financial re-
under which we viii lab
z sitter the war win b Of StupendOus
hayartSr. Every yDar bstWrn fclI