Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-02-06
SECURITY MAY YET DEMAND Elk
CLUSION OF ALL GERMANS
FROM PLACES OF TRUST.
ABOUT OIL LEASING BILL
Senators Strangely Divided in Their
Views on the Measure-Election of
Several More Women to Congress is
Predicted.
Rv ARTHUR w. DUNN.


disloyal element in this country which
is using every means to hamper the
government is one of the questions
puzzling the officials. 1t has been
suggested that every person of German
birth or parentage should be excludeu
from places of trust and responsible
ity, and Furthermore that none Such
should be employed in plants making
food, medicines, munitions and other
supplies for the army and navy. Ohe
objection 10 such q drastic move is
that it would hit many people whose
LOYALTY Is unqueStioned though they
are Germans by birth. But in great
crisis the personal element. must be
SubOrdihated to the general good anu
if the officials here determine that Sc
curity demands more rigid exclusion OF
German natiOnalities from positions
where they might do harm, no doubt
such steps will be taken.
As the oil leasing bill had only tive
majority when it passed the senate evil
IDENTIFY the measure was far from satls-
factory. Several senators said they
voted for it with great reluctance. But
the curious fact in relation TO the bin
Is the way the senate divided. There
were no party lines, no sectional lines
and no state lines. Men from the same
state voted on opposite sides; men VINO
naturally would have the same inter-
eSts separated on this vote. And most
surprising thing of all was the differ
ing views of men from the West, the
section smost interested in the legisla-
ton. They were all split up.
"FoIIow Your Leader"
Much legislation is enacted by the
follow your leader" method because
men engaged on important committee
work cannot attend the sessions of the
senate or house, while others prefer
TO work in their rooms rather than lis
ten to the debates. AS a consequence
when a vote is taken senators and rep
reSentativeS enter the hall. seek their
particular leader and ask him how to
vote In all probability many votes
would be changed if the men voting
could listen to all the arguments pro
and con and understood all the ques-
tons involved in the legislation. The
men best qualified to vote are those
who have little important committee
work and take time to listen to the
discussions in congress.
Senator Thomas did not like the
leasing bill a little bit and explained
his reason for supporting it. Il have
not changed my convictions upon this
subject In the slightest" said the Colo
RADIO senator "but when at the bar l
always, after thorough defeat, was
ready to compromise. not because /
wanted TO but because I had to-"
Instead of there being one lone wom-
an member of the house after the cleo
tions this year, predictions are freely
made that there may be half dozen.
Not only is 1t expected that women will
be elected in some of the western Suf-
frage states, but 1t is said that New
York, which joined the suffrage col
umn last fall, will send two or three
women TO the house. The time may
come when we will see women sena-
tors.
GiIIett an Easy Boss.
The Republican minority of the
house of representatives is not work
ing under such restraint as it
has been accustomed to feel for the
past six years. Congressman Gillett
of Massachusetts is the acting minor
ity leader in the absence of James
r. Mann, and members of the house
and the gallery habitues note the diff
ference. Gillett is comparatively
easy boss" He is neither arbitrary
nor severe. He is just as much of a
stickler in dealing with the ma
iority leaders as was Mann, but he is
not quite so sarcastic and bitter in his
retorts. Mann had a way of saying
vicious things; Gillett is a mild-man-
nered man, affable and agreeable, but
has Il certain firmness that gives him
the respect of his opponents.
Gillett has adopted a different meth
cd in the matter of delegating work to
others. Mann had finger in every
pie and took charge of the minority
side on almost every bin that came be-
fore the house. Gillett, as ranking Re
publican on the appropriations COM
mittee, many times was pushed aside
while Mann as minority leader took
the leading minority part in handling
appropriations. Gillett has dele
gated to each ranking majority MEN,
Der of an important committee the
duty of handling legislation coming
from that committee. That gives
many members a chance to show what
they can do and also gives more mem
hers a greater interest in the proceed
ingS of the house.
Champ Ciark's Way.
The Gillett way is Champ Clark's
way. He was one of the first minor
ity leaders 10 delegate work to the
ranking minority members. His prede-