The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-06-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

WASHINGTON, June 1.-The demo-
Gratis have every reason to feel good
over the political outlook right now
at the close of the primaries and in
the short breathing spell before the
campaign for the November election
is opened in full swing. One reason
is found in the fact that hundreds OF
republicans changed their party at1ll-
alton and joined the democratic party
before the primary, number that
will be increased to thousands on
! election day. No actual total of
such changes in utilization sworn In
on primary day can be obtained at
this writing but reports from practl-
cally every county show there was
movement in this direction. Before
the primary when notices of changed
affiliations were filed with the county
auditors there were changes in more
than third of the. counties from
republican to democratic. In Wood
bury county, twenty-five republicans
filed notice with the county auditor
of their desire to join the democrats.
In Buena Vista county there were
eighteen, in Winnebago county seven,
in Delaware six, in Wapello and
Mitchell five, and so on down the
list. In several counties there were
changes from the progressive to the
democratic parties.
This is taken as the strongest indi-
cation that President Wilson and the
democratic congress have won the
support of progressive thinking men
of all parties. And this in the face
of an organized campaign by the
Hearst papers and rabidly partisan
papers to undermine the president.
President Wilson's Mexican policy
has brought cynical sneers from a
class of jingoes who are willing to
plunge this country into war in which
they would never shoulder musket
to discredit the foreign policy Of
President Wilson and Secrtary Bryan.
Because President Wilson would not
send an army into Mexico to slaugh-
ter poor, ignorant, down-trodden
people, who need help, not bullets,
his policy has been attacked as dila-
tory. And the attacks have come
from such men as Hearst and others
who have millions of oil investments
in Mexico many of them illegally
held, which they would have the gov
eminent protect at cost OF thou
sands Of Americas best young man
hood President Wilson gave out an
interview the other day on the .Mexi-
can situation in which he outlined his
hopes for final solution of the
Mexican problem in way that will
help the oppressed and disinherited
millions of Mexico and bring moral
and economic reforms aimed at the
high purpose of lifting these unfor-
tunate people from bondage. He
made it plain that never during his
term of office would the United States
grab foot of Mexican territory and
the exploitation and plumber of the
millionaire oil and mining interests
who have preyed on Mexico's poor
will be brought to an end if he is Civ
en- support in working out his plans.
And the great body of the Ameri-
can people are supporting this policy.
They, with President Wilson, only
want war as last resort, and then
only in the cause of humanity to help
a poor people who may be forced to
move against their best interests be-
cause they are being driven by their
own lingo masters at home.
Secretary Bryan shares in the
criticism given to President Wilson
because he, too, is man of broad
| VISIBLE, d ludu WIZ 10 VI IuO pCOplc.
There are always few sneers about
grape juice diplomacy" when Mr..
Bryan is mentioned by his critics.
| Analysed, this means a diplomacy
that cannot be manipulated by New
York bankers in floating foreign
loans, and an honesty of conviction
that find expression in his decision
not to serve intoxicating liquors at
his state functions, though that had
been the practice of his predecessors.
The term "hayseed" has been applied
to Secretary of the Navy Daniels and
he has been criticised for attempting
to prescribe the table manners of
gentlemen" His offense has been
that he made the rule against drink
ing liquor on board battleships apply
to the officers as we'll as to the men,
to whom 1t had applied for years. At
torney General McReynolds has been
holly criticised because he would A0ti
consent 10 tho tlng q t1n19r n