davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
"a PERFECT RIGHT"

In speaking of the observation of the
Northwest American to the effect that
Gen. Wood was good soldier when,
denied the position of commander OF
the expeditionary forces, he accepted
the situation gracefully and devoted
himself to the home duties to which
he was assigned the Des Moines Reg
lister says:
There is something repugnant to
the spirit of fair play in this persis-
tent effort to picture General Wood as
an injured man because the command
of the expeditionary forces was given
to General Pershing. 1t is not Gus
tomary to say that defeated candl-
date is denied the Office. The. people
have Il perfect right to prefer somebody
else, Just as those who planned for the
war had.a right to prefer General
Pershin..'
Certainly the administration had the
right to select General Pershing for the
job given him, but that doesn't take
from the friends of Gen. Wood the
right to criticize the choice OF Pershins
or the right to insist that Gen. Wood
should have been chosen. Gen. Wood
has not complained at the treatment he
received, but his friends have. Even
though he were not selected as the
commander of the expeditionary forces
he might have been given overseas ser
vice commensurate with his standing
and capacity as a soldier.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Henry Morgenthau. former ambass;-
dor to Turkey, is of the opinion that
this country will be involved in
another great war inside OF ten years
if we refuse to join the League OF
Nations. He says that unless mill.
tarism is destroyed and a new order OF
Iehings established young men who
fought in the late war will again be
called upon to bear arms in Euro
pean war and those who were TOO
young two years ago will receive their
first call for service" Mr.. MOrgenthau
is not lingo nor an enthusiast. lie
is a successful, hard headed business
man and understands world conditions
as well as anybody in this country. II
we decline to enter the League OF Ma
lions upon any terms we will not have
a friend in Europe, and the time may
come when we will need some friends
over there. 1t is to he hoped that the
League of Nations will he duly ratl-
fed with or without reservations, ana
that the United States will assume her
proper place in its councils.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
or AN fI,FllCRAr.

Minneapolis Journaa:F Upon what
meat doth this our Cesar feed, that he
is. grown SO greaty' Woodrow Wilson
now casts out OF. the cabinet his faitlf-
full and submissive secretary Of state,
Robert Lansing, because. while he was
himself totally incapacitated for the
discharge Of his great duties, Mr..
Lansing called the cabinet together
and organized d temporary govern
ment to bridge over the interregnum.
Did ever king on throne, or en-
peror over realm, or autOcrat over
many, dismiss a minister In so AFRO
CANT a spirit or with such Il show of
childish petulance?
Mr.. Wilson affects to discern in the
action of Mr.. Lansing and his col
leagues of the cabinet an inexcusable
lsurpation of the presidential prerO-
gative. the setting of a precedent "ot
the most serious consequences
He writes to Mr.. Lansing:
No action could be taken without
me by the cabinet, and therefore there
could have been no disadvantage in
awaiting action with regard to matters
concerning which action could not have
been taken without me.
IulS puIClS lC6uAAslAN ~" ". sA>
situation when the president is in
capacitated would be astonishing.
were it not so Wilsonian. What Mr..
Wilson declares means, for example.
that no governmental measures should
have been taken to. settle the coal
strike. until he himself had recovered
sufficiently to act. The country might
starve, the people might freeze, indus
try might rust and crumble in idleness.
But let no cabinet officer lift finger,
lest precedent weakening the consti-
tutional authority Of the president be
established ~
And as for precedent, how about the
Garfield cabinet which carried OH the
government during those tense weeks
in the summer OF 1881, when their
chief, struck down by an assassin's bull
let, lay lowering between life and
death!
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
FOR THE FUTURE,

Congress ought to provide for such
emergencies in the future as that Occa-
stoned by the inability of President
Wilson to perform the duties OF his
Office There must be some plan de-
vised to protect the interests of the
,onntry in such times. If President
wilson should again be taken serious
" i'll and the country lbe confronted
by another. crisis like the coal strike,
it is unlikely, that the cabinet could
he induced to act. The petulant out
bursts of the president over what the
cabinet did When he was too sick to
know what was going on will dis
courage any such soutlaw" meetings
while the present occupant is i'll the
white house. OF course. it is not likely
that anything can be done by congress
TO meet the problem during Wilson'S
administration. He would probably
veto any bill that provides for the
country's relief in the event of his be-
ing incapacitated, but something
should he done to take care OF the
future. The people may again eject
such a man as Woodrow Wilson,
though they are not likely to, but if
they do it might be very necessary TO
have some legal machinery. that could
determine the capacity of the presi-
dent to perform the duties OF his office.
According to Washington advices
Representatives Fess of Ohio ana
Rogers of Massachusetts are working
Oh a bill to meet future emergencies
occasioned by the disability OF the
president. 1t proposes that the SUI
preme court on the request OF the sen
ate or house should determine whether
the president is able to discharge the
powers and duties of his office within
the meaning OF the constitution"
The same tribunal. would be author
lied to say whether the presidents
inability had been removed. in which
case he would be restored to Office.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Champ Clark is again. or yet, a
candidate for president of the United
States. 1t will be remembered that he
led in the balloting at the Baltimore
convention in 1912 and failed OF the
nomination only because Of the rule
that requires the nominee to secure
two-tiirds of all the votes. MI. Clark
owes his defeat to ". J. Bryan and 1t
is said he has never forgiven Bryan
for deserving his standard at critical
time. The country is now agreed that
Il serious mistake was made when Will
son instead of Clark was nominated
The experience Mr.. Clark has had in
national affairs would have served the
nation well during these days OF re-
construction.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
springs material help. They want that.

springs material help. They want that.
too.
1t is a natural feeling on their part.
The allies have come out OF the waE
with immense gains in territory. But,
none OF il is at present convertible into
wealth. America has the actual cash
on hand Most of the cash was paid
to America by the allies, and that
makes them the more petulant The
allies got full value for every penny
they paid us. They couldn't have won
the war otherwise. But, when people
are in trouble, you can't argue with
them.
1t does no good to explain logically
to the Europeans that they should stop
talking and get back to work. But, a
few soothing words might go far.
Now is the time for America to hold
her temper and treat Europe as Il
nerve-wrecked invalid. France has
lost the prime of her young manhood
because of the war. The income tax
on salary of $4,000 per year in Eng
land is six times what it is in the
United States.
If the war had hit us like that, we
wouldn't want to be held responsible
for our outbursts of temper. We would
claim the right to use any words that
relieved our feelings the quickest. II
Europe can calm her nerves by saying
nasty things about, the United States,
all right. Anything for cure. No
lasting enemity can develop as long
as America doesn't answer back. Eli
rope eventually will become more rea-
sonable. And, perhaps. after all, W.
may learn few truths about ourselves
we hadn't suspected before.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
DICKINSON WAS RIGHT.

When Congressman Dickinson OF
this district was home Il couple OF
months ago he made statement con-
corning the condition of Mr.. Wilson,
declaring that lit is IL pitiful sight to
pass the white house and see President
Wilson seated in Il wheeled chair. with
his arm and leg paralyzed. one side OF
his face drawn, and unable to attend
To busincss.'' Some of the slavishly
partisan democrats of the district went
after MI. Dickinson for making such
an assertions insisting that the preSl-
dent was not in the condition report
ed: that lie was able to perform
necessary duties, etc, etc TIE Man
son Democrat was especially severe i'll
its dcnrmciatiOn. implying that Con
gresham Dickinson was making out
a story against the president that was
unwarranted by the facts. The Des
Moines Register. more blindly devoted
to Wilson than any democratic paper
in the stateF was especially perturbed
by Mr.. Dickns0n's statement and com
mellted as follows:
"Inasmuch as paralysis has not been
limited at in any report entitled IL
crcdibility. the Register telegraphed to
its Washington bureau for vertical
ton. The reply. while not as specific
as i, might be. clearly indicates that
the president is not paralyzed but is
suffering merely from nervous break
down. and is rccuperating as rapidly
AS men of his years do recuperatc
from such nervous troubles. If the
president were suffering from paralysis
and presenting the pitiable sight i'll
Dictated by our congressman. it Is a
safe venture that he would not be eX-
posed to the view of passers-by. We
may also safely assume that definite
information would have been spread
broadcast long ago"
The Register better get a new Wash
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

i,
Mr.. Hoover will find that the posi-
tticn OF, fence straddler in American
politics is hazardous. Woodrow VII
son is the only man in the country
who can successfully get away with
such a performance and he has had
SO much experience as TO become
FAN adept. He balanced on the suffrage
fence long time before deciding upon
which side to jump and went through
the same performance in regard to pro-
hibition Then he was against pre-
paretlness until public sentiment fore
ed him to accept it. and he kept us
out Of war until I'VE We're dragged III
to it stern first About the only firm
and unbending support he has ever
given anything has been the Lea
cue of Nations covenant and he is firm
in that because he looks upon 1t as ms
own the thing that will carry MS
fame into the years of the future.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

The position of the government, for
cign officials say. has been difficult be-
cause it has been unable TO negotiate
directly with President Wilson regard
ing peace matters and risked offending
the administration if it made any move
that might be interpreted by the presi-
dents opponents as favorable to their
views-Paris Dispatch.
1t is quite evident that the allies I'M
derstand the small calibre Of the man
in the White House. Otherwise they
would not hesitate to proceed as seemed
best. Really big presidents are not of
Tended at right proceedings even ii
their enemies are pleased.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Democratic partisans who resent
the letter Of Viscount Grey discussing
ratification of the peace-league treaty
by the senate had no criticisms Tor
President Wilson. when as member
Of the peace conference at Versailles
he wrote public letter calculated to
influence Italy regarding the Fiume set
Element. He wrote that letter, too. or
rather published it. over the protest or
Premiers Lloyd George. Clemenceal
and Orlando. But it is said he Is
peeved by the statements of Mr.. Grey,
yet Mr. Grey was i'll his own country
talking to*his own people. while Mr.
Wilson was in Paris talking to Italians.
If MI. Grey's course was mdiplomatic
what can lie. said OF the course OF Mr..
Wilson," TE NJ t
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
Railroad Company Like 1t.

Stratford Courier: The attorney for
the Chicago 4 Northwestern railway
company was in town last week and
fully approved the railroad company's
share of the paving and curb and gut
ter assessments. This means that the
railroad company is fully satisfied
with the Improvement, that everything
in connection with it has been well ana
legally done and that they will pay
their assessment without any com
plaint or kick whatever although 1t
amounts to !: good many thousand dol
lars.
Railroad corporations are farsighted
enough to know that the paving I'M
provement will make their station here
nay them more money. And while 1t
His always contended that railroads are
the principal kiekers against an I'M,
provement of this kind in small
town, the contention must be ana is
| the exact reverse in the case OF our
fpaving Improvement. go
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
.Rilly. Hcc,, Cleans En- Up.

II Jewell Records: billy HoOn sure
did business at the, six day Interstate
shoot last week at Kansas City, and
once more demonstrated that he is one
Of the very BEST trap shooters IN the
world.
In the Interstate Individual Anna
teur Wing Shot Championship event
at % live birds, Billy tied b. o. Mel
rath of Philadelphia with 20 straight.
and on the shootoff broke straight
winning the championship.
In the Elliott Interstate Amateur
Team Cup Race, five men from eacll
state. each man shooting at ~ Dlrds,
the Iowa team tied with Missouri ana
won the championship in the shooton.
Both teams killed 10 out OF the ioo,
and in the % bird shOotoff Iowa got -
to Missouri's 20. The Iowa team IN
Guided w. S. Hoon, VIM. Ridley. VIM
Wetleaf Il. c. Hinshaw, and Is. +. FL
bert. co.
In the National Amateur Wing Shot
Handicap event. Billy tied with three
other shooters for first place but iost
out in the shoototf. losing his 2ord
bird.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Ora Williams, state document editor
recommends that the state establish a
printing plant in connection with the
Iowa State College at Ames. The
Freeman-J ournal seconds the recon-
mcndation. The state would not only
save some money. but students at the
college would have an opportunity to
learn the printers trade. There are
not enough boys and young men learn
ing trades now and in future years
the dearth of capable craftsmen is go
ing to be seriously felt. There arc
other branches of industry that ought
to be taught at state schools.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
SPEAK UP, MIR. PRESIDENT.

Des Moines News: In firing Secre-
tary of State Lansing for ''usurpine
the powers of the chief executive
President Wilson resorts to camoufiage
But it is not even good camOufiage. The
people see through it.
There are three points on which it
f! is evident that President Wilson and
the secretary differed strongly. They
are the League of Nations, our Mexican
policy and the coal strike Injunction
But in all of these cases the whole cabi-
net should share responsibility, and
will share it in the popular mind. II II
| is the coal strike policy that Wilson is
peeyed about, and if any single man is
to be the goat, it should be A. Mitchell
Palmer.
Doubtless the firing Of Lansing is in
tended by the president as gesture OF
disavowal of the general course steer
| ed by his subOrdinates during his i'll
ness. but it is poor gesture. 1t is not
specific enough. And it strikes the
country as unfair. What was Lansing
to do, if not act? To have sat still
and done nothing would have been i'm
possible.
Strife in the presidents official fam
| lily is obvious, and that the president
should fire some one as a matter Of rec
ord was to he expected But the firing
should have been done in such way
as to leave the record clear.
What the people have right to
know Is what it is that President Viii
son disapproves of. Is it the Mexican
policy?i Or is IT the coal strike action
that the whole cabinet was in on? u.
Speak up, Me- President! There is
still time to telEthe people. .t2 &,
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

If the men in the cabinet We're really
big. every last one of them would re
sign after the insult the president hurl-
ed a: them for daring to attend cabi-
net meetings during his illness. The
fact that they remain as targets for fu-
ture outbursts is proof of their small
calibre. How long would such men as
Elihu Root. w. J. Bryan, w. Fl. Taft.
Charles +. Hughes and Frank O. Low
den remain in the cabinet after such
an exhibition of petulancc and UNI
bridled egotism on the part of the pres
ident:
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

In his statement to the press, de
claring himself an independent III poll
ties, Mr. Hoover is entirely within his
rights as Il citizen. and he has Il very
large, though not Il majority comradc-
ship. Whether his course is Il wise one
is Il subject upon which opinions VIII
differ. Mr.. Hoover says that he believes
in parties-two and no more. lie pro-
poses to wait until the party ''mana-
gers make the platforms and then de
termine which he will support. II a
man is IA believer in two parties, does
it not become his duty as an active citi
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
Streyer Family To Move.

Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. r. Strcvcr and
daughter expect to move to Aurora
Ill, about April j., where they expect
to remain permanently. Mr. Strever
has bought home there which will
he ready for their occupancy. Mr.
Strever spent the most of his young
manhood days in Aurora and is wide
ly acquainted there. Webster City
will regret to see the family leave.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Newspaper advertising to arouse
public sentiment in favor of increased
salaries for school teachers is being re-
sorted to by Il special committee OF
publicity OF the Fort Dodge Teachers
federation. They are running paid
advertisements in the newspapers and
il is reported that the board is favor
ably inclined to give substantial in
crease in pay.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
lettings About the
County.
Threshing Machine Company.

Ellsworth News: A dozen farmers
in northern Scott township have form
ed a threshing company, which they
have named the Social Threshing
crew. They have just purchased a
threshing outfit and will take care
of their own work this year. O. L.
Welland was elected president OF the
company and Raymond Classon, secre-
tary treasurer.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

After while the outlook for their
party may become so gloomy that the
democrats will nominate Bryan and let
it go at that.-Regster.
And if it looks too gloomy for Bryan.
they may nominate Mr.. Wilson, who is
responsible for the gloom.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

"The grounding cabinet" is what we
have now at Washington, according to
Senator PoindeXter. They will be
afraid of their shadows and stick close
to their holes since Lansing got his for
acting in crisis without orders from
the president when the president was
too sick to give orders.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

= It is quite evident that Gov. Lowden
and Gen. Wood are the leaders in the
contest for the: republican nomination
for president Mr.. Lowden leads in
the middle west by strong margin,
but the general appears to. he the favor
Ute in the east Well, either one would
make good president and either will
win easily after being nominated.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
Taking Williams Census.

Williams Enterprise: Lawrence
Daniels of Webster City started to
enumerate the census Thursday after
noon. AS he is stranger here. he
wishes us to state that he would like
your cooperation so as not to over
look anyone We want to make the
population of Williams as large as pos
sible, and if you have anyone rooming
at your home, tell the enumeration
about it when he calls.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Senator Pomerenc of Ohio. who has
been II candidate for the democratic
nomination for president, has an
lounced his withdrawal from the con-
test saying his duties in the senate
precludes the possibility of his max
ing an active campaign.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas has
presented an amendment to the bill put
i ting a tariff on dyestuffs that would re-
move all duties on print paper costing
less than eigl. cents per pound. Scna-
tor Curtis believes that the adoption
af the provisions would bring supplies
OF. print paper from Scandinavian colln-
tries and materially aid in overcoming
the shortage III this country that now
prevails.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

The man who is saying that the wo-
men will vote as their husbands do
better have care if he wants his wife
to vote right. If she hears he is brag.
ging, she is very apt to vote contrary
to the way he votes. The average wO-
man is just as contrary as the average
man and will resent just as quickly an
insinuation that anybody controls her
ballot.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

The New York World, the leading
democratic paper of the United States.
seriously considers the charge of Presi-
dent Wilson that Secretary Lansing had
tried to usurp executive prerogativeS
Such Il silly statement by the president
is not worth Il second thought. the
World to the contrary notwithstanding
Mr.. Wilson was up stump to know
what TO say. He had to have some sort
of an excuse.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

The taxpayers of the country appre-
ciate the efforts of congress TO reduce
governmental expenditures. To date
congress has cut appropriation bills to
the extent of $1.O000O0.00O under the
sums asked for by department chiefs.
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

zen to undertake to shape the platform
of one of the parties? If everyone
remained independent, as Mr.. Hoover
does, and left the formulation of plat
forms to managers" by what means
would party platforms ever become
truly representative?
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

Herbert Hoover is promising to be
a rather spirited dark horse in the
Forthcoming. national campaign.-C Gin
ton Herald. LII
1t is possible. 1t is also possible tia t
Mr.. Hoover will be a dispiritcd, jaded
and broken old horse when the cam
paign closes. .ai.l IA
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23
WE MAY LEARN SOMETHING.

Dies MOineS News: America is pass
ing through a period of unpopularity
in the allied countries. The allies
want our sympathy in their recon-
Strncti0n troubles. They think they
haven't got il because we are too busy
making money. From sympathy
Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-02-23

The country school districts must pay
higher wages to teachers or close the
schools. Girls and women are not go
ing TO teach for present pay when they
can make twice as much money doing
something else.