The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-01-23
u. S. SENATE WHITEWASHES
LAFOLLETTE.

After a lapse of fourteen month:
since the crime was committed the
United States senate by 33 to 20 votet
to exonerate Senator "Bob" LaF toilette
of Wisconsin of the disloyalty charges
which have been pending against hin
since his, infamous st. Paul address
before Townley's Nonpartisan Lea,
que hand picked convention.
Whether it was for the purpose OF
giving the Republicans a scant ma
jority of one in the next congress that
LaFollette was exonerated the Herald
does not profess to know, but GER
tain it is that only one republican
in the senate voted against the resolu-
ton to exonerate the Wisconsin man.
This was Senator Smith of Michigan,
and the Herald doffs its head-fear to
the Michigan statesman. The republic
cans had better lose control of the
upper branch than to vote to exon
crate, as the Herald cannot but take
tina tvote as an Endorsement of the
statements made by LaFollette at the
time.
In this same connection this paper
wishes to compliment Senator John
Sharp Williams, the Mississippi fire
eating Democrat for the excoriation
he gave LaFollette in the senate
chamber before the vote was taken.
Senator Williams sentiment will ap-
peal to vast majority of Americans,
regardless of their political faith.
This is a poor time for political ex-
pediency.
The Herald takes pleasure in pub
fishing some of the pertinent para
graphs in Senator Williams speech
herewith:
GAS I read the speech made by the
senator from Wisconsin in St. Paul, it
was series of false statements which
must have been consciously made"
Senator Williams said. 81 find in that
speech a charge that the United States
went to war to protect the Morgan in
terests of some sort or other. I find
in that speech a charge that we went
to war and sacrificed our children
that rich Americans might ride on
munitioned and armed ships.
ut is an everlasting lie that the
United States went to war to protect
any Morgan interests or any capial-
istic interests of any sort.
ut also is an everlasting lie that
the people of these United States ever
sent their boys to be fed as cannon
fodder in Europe that American citi-
zens might ride upon munition ships.
at is an everlasting lie that the
Lustitania was armed or had danger
GUS explosives aboard and that any
law of the United State ever was
violated by any Aerican citizen who
took passage on the Lusitania.
at is an everlasting lie that the ia
American citizens who went to their
graves unknelled and unsung upon
that memorable day of German
barbarity went there to uphold the
doctrine of capitalism or of money
making.
81, for one, do not want this history
of the United States to be written so
that my children or grandchildren
shall read that sat quitely while the
United States senate said that all that
made no difference. .... .
81 have seen ignorant boys arrested
and tried and condemned, some few of
them to death and some more to
prison, for doing things and saying
things that amounted to much less
than this st. Paul speech.
81 have no personal animosity to
the senator from Wisconsin, and he
knows it, but I have no glad hand Of
welcome to extend to any enemy of
my country when my country is at
war, and have no glad hand of well
come to extend to any man who
ISLANDERS my country, who tells false
hoods about it; and I do not care
whether he is a senator or whether. he
is plowboy-except that I can for
give the plowboy because of his
ignorance. -.
"He had the audacity to say that
Mr.. Bernstorff, as ambassador from
Germany, give US notice to keep of
the ship. Gave US notice-gave us
who the devil are we? We are the
American people, under the providence
of God.
"This miserable kaiser, who since
has been dethroned, gave us notice
through the ambassador that we
might be hurt if we went on this ship
and then we were guilty Of audacit!
and folly and insanity because w
went on the ship and ia American
citizens did not have cowordice enough
to take the German warning and keel
off the ship.-A. M. w.
Many momentuous questions vii
be settled at Wadena Friday an,
Saturday of this week. The Northern
Minnesota Editorial Association vii
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