Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-18
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Not Playing Fair.

Glenwood Springs. Colo, Sept. IL.
To the Editor of The Bee: The
presidents use of the word quit
ters'' with reference to differing
senator's will have as much to do
with the defeat OF his peace plan
as 1t stands as any other statements
made by any leader Of any affilia-
ton.
Senator Hitchcock, who pleaded
with the president, with tears in his
eyes," to use his own expression,
not to enter the war arena, was not
accorded this vituperative title
then, yet he calls these senators, as
does the president, "standpatters,
who stood pat with the president
for no further delay in declaring
war. because, forsooth. they stand
pat" with their conscience and con-
scientious duties and reasonable
delay in the present crisis. Will any
open-minded citizen believe that
Lodge, Johnson, Borah, Poindexter,
Harding, and the like, not to speak
of the differing democratic senators,
are bartering their country's welfare
and position. to spite or discredit
the president, to enhance their own
political fortunes, to do otherwise
than give their souls (their lives nor
the presidents are theirs to give
in this cause, nor to trifle with, even
in speeech), best inspirations and
thought for their country? Need
they, of the party that received the
confidence of the people last No
vyember stand pat" quit" or have
narrow minds" to gain a selfish
point, when they and their party
are in control?
Can it be conceived for moment
that Senator Lodge, whose brave
and lamented son-in-law Congress
man, Gardner) gave up his life, not
IN speech, but in the war camps,
through disease, after having re-
signed from congress to serve his
country, can it be conceived Senator
Lodge would favor a peace treaty
or league of his own making in part
that would, as the president and
Hitchcock argue, make for more
wars. to lose more of the precious
blood OF his kinsmen? No one
doubts the president means we'll in
theory. means we'll by his country
in this work from his light and
standpoint, but he asks too much
that his countrymen shall accept
blindly his Judgment and his only,
that his is the only treaty, that he
be the only judge in a matter that
ne should gladly welcome discussion
on, discussion patriotic, discussion
sound, discussion open and varied, as
the people demand; enlightenment
from every side, and not only from
the side of those who framed the
document, that had to be changed
once when it was similarly declared
sound, and if he erred then, why
can he be declared immune from
error now?
He misleads himself, he misleads
the public. when he declares from
washington or from his travelling
points that the people want what he
advocates and nothing else and
that applause gained in delivering
sound American phrases shall be
construed as proving his case on
important points on which audi
ences are silent. Who wouldn't
want to hear him speak? Who
wouldn't attend meeting at which
ms esteemed wife, the first lady in
the land, is present; out of courtesy,
out of desire to hear and learn if
possible, out of curiosity, as with
some?
No, the game is not being
played fairly when the influence of
a great position is used to affect
public opinion, by decrying and
casting reflections upon the many
honored names of men, who have
grown gray and old in service to
their country in war and peace, and
VINO nave, most of them, been hon
ored with reelection because of
such service as has merited the ap-
prevail of their fellow citizens. who
need better, more logical, more
polseful arguments than the presi-
dent is now making, before they
will consider that their services are
no longer of value to them and the
country. T. M