Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-08-04
WILSON VS.. ROOSEVELT.

| ington. No considerations of good
taste as a former president of the
United States commenting on the
difficulties confronting successor
restrain him from indulging to the
limit his bent for acidulous Ian
guage when discussing the diplo-
macy of President Wilson and Sec
rotary Bryan.
1t is natural that he should feel
as he does. Col. Roosevelt is man
of force and violence. President
Wilson is man given to reason and
moderation. The colonel's voice is
for war; the presidents for peace.
Be it tyrannous or no, the colonel
believes in using a giants strength
like a giant. The president would
use a giants strength with fairness
and restraint, with due regard for
right and wrong and for the conse-
quences, after the manner of a gen.
tleman and a Christian. That the
United States of America should
apologize for wrongful act, and
make restitution for wrong, is to the
colonel unthinkable. To President
Wilson and his cabinet advisers it
seems as natural for nation to do
it when the doing thereof is called
for, as it would be for any one of
them as an individual. They think
it no shame to do right. They think
it no dishonor to love peace and
strive for its promotion.-Omaha
World-Herald.
Why should former President
Roosevelt be unduly considerate Of
the difficulties confronting a success
or when that successor deliberately
set about to discredit the former
president? When the Roosevelt ad-
ministration acquired title to the
strip of land for the Panama canal
the entire country applauded the
act. The republican party pointed
to the achievement of the republican
president with pride and men of all
parties praised his course. Now,
however, democratic administra-
ton is endeavoring to cast reflec-
lions upon the government and up
on the former president by insinu-
ating that the site for the canal was
stolen and proposes to pay an indem-
nifty of $25,O0O,OOO and to apollo
gize to Colombia to boot. A presi-
dent that will pursue such a course
to discredit a predecessor has no
claim for fair play from that prede-
cessor and apologists of the present
administration who whine at the
criticisms of the former president
will receive little sympathy from
that large body of American citizens
who believe this country was justi-
fled in pursuing the course it did to
insure the construction of the canal.
It is very evident that a man of
iron nerve like Roosevelt was need
ed at the helm at that time and it
is due to the courage, tact, determ-
ination and wonderful resources of
Theodore Roosevelt that the world
now enjoys the benefits of that Won
derful diplomatic and engineering
conquest. The country had been de-
handing the construction of the
canal for fifty years. Party leaders
and party platforms had urged it.
|Speelbinders had dwelt upon its ad-
vantages and statesmen had advised
and counseled it. But there was al
ways something to prevent reali-
zation of this almost universal de-
sire. The transportation companies
opposed it and the governments in
possession of the territory would
listen to nothing in reason and JUS
tice. It is quite apparent that if
Woodrow Wilson and William J.
Bryan had been in the positions
they now occupy we would not have
the canal. But fortunately men of
broader perception, wider experience
in public affairs and far more cour-
age were in those positions and
President Roosevelt had the backing
of one of the ablest statesman and
most astute Diplomats since Benja-