The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-08-14

mOSt SlSnlHCaNL events OIL the present.
congress occurred in the house on
Tuesday, July 20, when a group Of
40 Independents and progressive Re-
publicans, including the chairmen OF
two important committees, Porter of
foreign affairs and Esch of interstate
commerce, summarized q trick partisan
resolution conceived by the majority
steering committee to discredit the
administration and combined with the
Democrats to put through al amend
ment making it of practical value to
the people of the United States.
The occasion was the vote on a
special house resolution demanding
mediatsly available to the public the
huge stocks Of surplus army food held
by the war department. The resolu-
ton had been drawn after an investi-
cation showing terrible incompetency
on the part of the war department
with regard to the disposal Of its sur
plus food supplies, and very plainly
indicating that influence brought to
bear by the packers and the Gamers
is primarily responsible for letting
this food rot in storage rather than
place it on the domestic market.
Nevertheless the resolution ION.
ceived by the Republican steering
committee, a body with ideals worthy
of the worst days of Cannonism, was
a partisan measure and nothing more.
It demanded that the secretary of war
place the surplus food products on
sale without delay" carefully omit.
ting to give Mr.. Baker any assistance
or authority to handle this gigantic
task. It was clearly designed to focus
public wrath on the administration
by ordering Mr.. Baker to Immediately
settle a problem which he had neither
money o men to solve.
In spite of furious opposition from
the majority leadership an amend
ment to this resolution, offered by
Clyde Kelly, independent Republican
of Braddock, Pa, giving the resolu.
ton constructive value by instructing
the war department to utilize the par.
cells post system in selling the food,
was put through by q combination of
40 Republicans, lined up with the
Democrats. Prominent among those
who refused to be bludgeoned by their
reactionary leaders we're Representa-.
tives Baer and Sinclair of North Da-
kota, and Representative Cars Of
Minnesota. y = - -
. Great Excitement.
The incident has caused tremendous
excitement in congress. The majority
leaders r furious at the detection
and have threatened to call a party
caucus to discipline" those who put
public welfare above partisan advan-
tage. They frankly admit now that
the original resolution was drawn
with no other purpose than to dis.
credit the Democrats, and that the
Independents have committed the un-
pardonable crime Of giving Mr.. Baker
a way out of the mess into which he
had gotten himself.
There are rumors abroad that this
incident is but the first step seen In
congress in the direction Of a new
progressive party of public service
These are substantiated by the fact
that most of the 40 are men elected
by the farmer and labor vote, and
men who have not been in congress SO
long that they have forgotten every.
thing except the shabby old trick Of
political huckstering.
The kotchak Burden.
The weaker Admiral Kolchak grows
in his fight to maintain a Dictatorship
over the Russian people the more
money the American taxpayer is 60
ing to be forced to dig up to support
him. In view of the fact that con
gress has never been given the chance
to decide on the question of war with
Russia, or Of supporting this *
champion of c~zaristn, the secret de.
cisions of the administration in this
matter are Of considerable interest.
Almost ON the same day that Kol
chak was forced 70, reWoye his "capt
tar from Omsk to 1rkntsk because
Of the increasing strength OF ths
Bolsheyiki in Siberia. Frank Polk
acting secretary Of state, announced
from France that 'henceforth the
United States viii give strong ma
terial aid" to Kolchak. Exclusive
information reaching the Leader bu
reau, by way Of a congressman, shows
how this is being done. In deepes
secrecy, for fear. Of q labor uprising
II the truth were known, thousands o
rifles and millions Of rounds Of am
munition are now being shipped Il
concealed packages to General ,Dsni
kline, Koichak's aid in south Russia
and Kolchak himself in Siberia, &C
cording to this extremely reliable IN
formation. In view Of the great wa
debt which must be handled by thi
country and the appalling taxation
which is necessary to pay this debt
there is much speculation in congress
now as to who is footing the bills TO
these munitions and their shipment.
Sacrificing Ships.
Another instance OF hagrant disrt
/. gard Of the public pocketbook is see
In the recent sale by the shippin
board to the Andelaen Oversees CO.