Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-11-05
BRYAN AGAINST
WILSON'S PLANS
TContinucd From First Pagc.I


Congress against adoption of the plan.
Mr.. Bryan's statement says:
I'VE Cannot Criticise"
Il have read the Presidents speech
at New York with sorrow and con-
Germ. He is doing what he believes to
be his duty, and so long as man fol-
lows his conscience and judgment we
cannot criticise his motives, but we
may be compelled to dissent from his
conclusions. / feel II my duty to dis
sent. and as he has given his views
with clearness and emphasis, those
who differ from him are under like
obligation to express themselves with
equal clearness.
He says that his position is differ
ent from that of the private individual
in that the individual is free to speak
his own thoughts and risk his own
opinion. This sentence is a little OBJ
scure. Insofar as he expresses his
own opinion, he does not differ from
the private citizen except that he
speaks under a sense of official respon-
sibility, but where a nations fate is
involved in a policy every private citi-
zen who loves his country and tries to
serve 1t is conscious of responsibility.
The President will not assume that he
is more deeply interested in the well
fare of his country than the millions
who elected him to be. for the time be-
ing, their spokesman. And il, as he
evidently believes, he is giving voice to
the opinions of his countrymen, he is,
Of course, anxious to have them be as
frank with him as he has been with
them-how otherwise can he know
whether he represents or misrepre-
sents their views?
New Policy Announced
He has announced policy which
has never before been adopted in this
country, and never endorsed by any
party in the country, and he has no
way of knowing until he hears from
the people whether he has correctly
interpreted the will of the public. His
appeal is not to any party, but. as he
says, to men of all shades of opinion.
He asks for the hearty support of the
country, meaning, of course, that he
wants the support, provided the people
favor the policy which he has outlined.
He could not, of course, ask them to
support a policy which they did not
endorse. especially If they considered
the policy dangerous to the country.
From my view of the subject, the
plan as he proposes is not only a de-
parture from our traditions, but re-
versal of our national policy 1t is
not only a menace to our peace and
safety, but a challenge to the spirit of
Christianity which teachers us to in
by exciting fear
The President says that we should
be prepared not for aggression but
for defense. That is the ground upon
which all preparation for war is made.
What nation has ever prepared for
war on the theory that 1t was pre-
pairing for aggression? 1t is only fair
to assume that the European rulers
who are involved in the present war
thought that they were contributing
toward the maintenance of peace when
they were making elaborate prepa-
rations for defense. 1t is a false phi
losophy, and. being false. it inevitably
leads into difficulties. The spirit that
makes the individual carry a revolver
and whoever carries a revolver ex-
cent for defense?-leads him not only
to use il on slight provocation, but to
use language which provokes trouble.
Speak softly, but carry a big stick is
one of the delusive maximS employed
by those who put their faith in force.
There are two answers to it-first, the
man who speaks softly has not the dis
position to carry a club. and If man
with soft voice is persuaded to carry
club his voice changes soon as he
begins to rely upon the club.
why Reverse Our Policy"
IF there is any truth in our religion.
a nation must win respect as an indi-
y
by an upright. honorable course that
invite confidence and insures good will.
This nation has won it's position in the
world without resorting to the habit of
toting pistol or carrying club. Why
reverse our policy at this time? The
President himself admits there is no
reason for q change. He says:
The country is not threatened
from any quarter. She stands in
friendly relations with all the world.
Her resources and her self-respect and
capacity to care for her own citizens
and rights are well known. And to
make the statement more emphatic,
he adds: There is no fear among us
Questions for Wilson
''If we're not threatened by any
nation, if our relations with all nations
are friendly. If everybody knows that
we're able to defend ourselves, If nee
essary and If there is no fear among
us. why is this time chosen to revo-
lutionize our national theories and to
exchange our policy for the policy of
Europe? Why abandon the hone that
We have so long entertained of setting
an example to Europe? Why encour-
age the nations of Europe in their
fatal folly by initiating them? why
impose upon the Western Hemisphere
a policy so disastrous? May we not
eXpect ell Latin America to be stimu-
lated to preparation if we enter upon a
new era of preparation? And will not
such policy make conflicts between
these republics more probable? We
shall do infinite harm to the neighbor-
ing nations as we'll as to ourselves If
we are drawn. into this policy which
provokes war by a preparation which
is imposdible without a large increase