The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-09-14
No Jug.HandIed Cooperation!

Democratic newspapers and Demo
cratic politicians are ringing the char
ges on the "stand-by-the President
slogan. In thousand tones we-and
by I'VE" is meant the Republican party
are told how heavy is the Presidents
burden, how Mexico vexes him, how
Hayti bothers him, how the European
war wears upon him; how he is pres
CRYING us in peace, how he is bringing
us into prosperity" how he will man
age the national defense, how he will
augment our revenues; and how 1t Is
our duty, not as Republicans but as
patriots, to stand by him and support
his policies.
What are these policies? What is
planned for Mexico? What will be
done further about the Lusitania case?
What course Is to be pursued regard
ing the English interference with our
commerce.? What recommendations
have been made for national defense?
How is the feeble treasury to be boil
stored up?
Nobody can tell But we are asked
to support policies which the Presi-
dent will develop without consultation
with anyone representing our party
policies based upon counsels taken
from unofficial and prejudiced sources
and formulated by the President alone.
In due season we shall be notified.
Meantime it is our duty to stand by
the President" and to continue to do
so, ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
In some degree there has been
willingness to do this. But that ten
dency has now been checked, and by
the President himself While jealou-
sly cloaking every detail Of his policy
for neutrality for Mexico, for defense,
for revenue he has made it plain that
one thing he is going to insist upon at
the next session of Congress, and that
is the passage of the ship-purchase
bill.
The measure has been featured into
no party platform, has been condemn
ed by the business interests of the
country, is purely socialistic in its
purpose, is fraught with infinite dan
ger to our standing as neutral ma
ton, it is repugnant to all Republicans
and to many Democrats-yet the Pres
ident insists upon it. Nothing could
L, t. hot
exemplify the insulting character of
the hypocritical appeal to stand by
the President" Republicans are ask
ed to surrender their right of judg-
ment regarding fiscal and foreign pol
icies in favor of some unknown theo-
ries which have not yet taken shape
even upon the executive typewriter
while the President is unwilling to
abate anything from his obstreperous
backing of an obnoxious measure.
This one-sided and jug-handled prop
osition is likely to defeat itself. The
Republicans are asked to concede ev-
erything The President is willing to
thing and partisanship is another. But
in pushing the ship-purchase bill as
he does the president is neither patrio-
tic nor partisan. He is pettily person
al and proud. The scheme is not the
peoples scheme nor any party's plan.
1t is the Presidents own scheme. To
persist in it, while beseaching Repub-
lican support for other measures,
means that the President looks upon
the Republican party as weak either
in purpose or in intellect. 1t is not
time to demonstrate that we are nei-
Their?
If Woodrow Wilson expects Repub
licans to stand by" him, it is about
time that he displayed some of that
courteous spirit of concession which
may rightfully be expected when OPP
ponents cooperate for high pur-
pose.