The Missouri herald., 1922-05-12

Government each state Except as to
certain specified powers) is complete
sovereignty entitled to be represented
In the Senate by two men.
Has 1t come to this that the proud
State of Missouri, embracing territory
larger than the Island England, one
third as large as the German Empire,
possessing a population Of 3,500,0O0 Of
the most intelligent men and women
on earth, desires that its representa-
tives shall exercise neither independ-
ence of thought nor action. Shall they
each morning, turn their faces towards
the White House and hunlbly exclaim:
Give us this day our daily thoughts?"
For nearly IL years / have repre-.
sented this great State. have refused
to delegate to another the trust re.
posed in me. I will surrender that
trust only to the people whose commits
sion I hold.
II Missouri wants n rubber stamp in
the United States Senate, 1t undoubt-
edly can find one without searching
far or long.
If l am right in the position have
taken, then the test to be applied to
my public acts Is not whether agreed
or disagreed with the President, but
whether my votes and acts were in ac-
cordance with sound public policy. BY
that test am willing to be measured.
l do not pretend that my judgment
has been infallibe-1 do claim to have
been honest in my convictions. In
fallibility is not an attribute of this
earth. may be mistaken when l do
not agree with you-yOu may be mis-
taken when you do not agree with me-
Nothing is so difficult as legislation.
Its effects lie in the future and are
generally incapable of exact calcula-
ton. Patience and prudence are in
finitely to be preferred to boldness and
experimentation. The greater ones
experience, the more one distrusts leg
islative cure-alls.
The prudent man knows that our
Government was wisely conceived.
Change is sometimes necessary, but
it should not be lightly undertaken lest
more injury than good may follow.
During the past six years nearly every
body has labored under intense excite.
ment. A multitude Of well-intentioned
but impractical schemes have been
brought forward. Nearly every plan
proposed has been imperfect and many
were full of danger.
Under such circumstances it became
the duty of every man charged with
responsibility to proceed with the
greatest care, to examine all PROPOSE
tions, to expose and cure their errors,
and If incapable of cure, to oppose
them. The representative Of the peo-
pie was the "watchman upon the
tower" 1t was his business to guard
the interests Of the country even
though it brought-upon him the con-
tumely of enemies and the torturing
criticism of friends. He was obliged
in honor to forget himself and his own
fortunes. This is never easy. 1t Is
sometimes an agonizing experience.
In the light of what have said, let
me refer to few Of the principal
events Of the last - years.
GREAT STANDING ARMY AND
COMPULSORY MILITARY
TRAINING.
now proceed to discuss various i'm
portant matters in the order Of their
occurrence.
Out Of order and because 1 desire
to attract the attention Of those who
insist that disagreement with the Pres
ident was species of treason, direct
attention to three demands of the
Administration:
The demand for great standing
army and navy.
The demand for universal military
service for all boys 1S years Of age.
The demand for the acceptance of
mandate in Armenia which would
require the maintenance In Asia of
great American army.
Months after the Armistlce had been
signed and our eXpedltionary force was
being dissolved, the Administration,
through the Secretary Of War, the
Navy and Chief Of Staff, demanded:
(D A regular standing army of
100000 men.
(2) Sailors and marines, 25O,OOO.
This vast military establishment was
estimated to cost $1,246,2OOOOO per
year.
Universal compulsory military train
ing for all~boys 1S years Of age, was
also demanded.
This would have kept in constant
training at least 250,O0O boys.
The entire scheme contemplated
keeping constantly under arms more
than one million men.
The plan aforesaid also contemplate
ed the creation Of n great National
Guard, the establishment Of training
camps, and vast reserve army.
The entire scheme could not have
been carried out for less than two
thousand million dollars annually.
At the same time active steps were
being taken to bring about the es-
tabllshment of an American mandate
over Armenia.
The Presidents personal representa-
tive, Major General Harbord, was
sent to Armenia to investigate. He
reported that 1t would require from
25,000 to 100000 American troops to
maintain the mandate; that he, how
ever, believed force Of $4,000 troops
would be sufficient for the first two
years.
Such an army could probably not
have been maintained for less than
$500,000,060 per year.
Adding this TO the cost Of the per-
manent military establishment de-