Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-18
TRIBUNE SEEMS JEALOUS.

Tho Onion League club of New York
adopted resolutions defining plan for
national defense. These resolutions
were presented by Senator Elihu Root
Of New York and in support of motion
for the adoption of the resolution, Mr.
Root said;
DO not let us deceive ourselves.
Adequate preparation for preservation
Of our liberty means vast expendf-
ture, but it means more than that; it
means willingness for self-sacrifice,
q spirit among our people the length
and breadth of our land, among the
rich and the poor, among the highly
educated and the graduates of the
common school, among professional
men, merchants and bankers, farmers
and laborers-a national spirit among
the people of the land and determin-
alton to preserve the liberty and JUS
tice Of the American republic, and to
make q sacrifice Of means and con-
venience, comfort, and. If need be, of
life In that cause"
The Chicago Tribune commends the
resolution and Mr. Roots remarks,
and then In laborious and lengthy
editorial, attacks and insidiously at
tempts to discredit the citizenship of
Mr.. Root. The Tribune's editor got
SO worked up in his antagonism to Mr..
Root that in the last half yard of his
article he did not once mention mill
tary preparedness, but filed in great
deal OF space trying to impress the
readers with the idea that. Mr.. Root
is not sincerely for the country's wei
fare and has not been at least since
r
1912. He does not state whether Mr..
Roots sincerity began before that
time or whether that was the in1ta-
ton of it.
It is just such articles as that In the
Tribune that keep up a continuous dis
trust In the public mind. The atu-'
tude OF Mr.. Root or Mr.. Roosevelt or
Mr.. Bryan or Mr.. Clark In the conven-
tions Of 1912 has no bearing on or
nothing whatever to do with the ques-
ton Of whether this country should or
should not adopt military training
system. The Chicago Tribune knows
chat Just as well as anyone else knows
#. The Chicago Tribune has been
advocating that the country adopt
plan looking toward national military
preparedness and protection. That
much Of the Tribune's position we un-
nualifledly endorse. The part Of the
Tribune's article that deals with pre-
,paredness Is good. But the Tribune
weakens the part Of its article dealing
with national defense, by the other
mart Of the article which is an attack
on Senator Root. 4 Whether the IT1b-
!. une does or does not like Senator Root
has absolutely nothing to do with
whether this country should or should
not get in a position to defend Itself
from military attacks.
The Chicago Tribune is great Dig
newspaper and an immense business
and commercial success. but It Is not
the source from which any man, con
versant with political Affiliations OF
the newspapers of the middle west,
will accept definition Of what consti'
flutes either q republican or a demo
crat. The Chicago Tribune Is a re-
publican paper for about sixty days
in each four years-the two months
preceding the national election. The
other three years and ten months 1t
puts in advocating free trade.
A great big paper like the Chicago
Tribune should not be guilty at this
thine OF letting its personal likes or
dislikes faint the sincerity Of such q
necessary movement as the military
preparedness. It is not worthy Of the
Chicago Tribune that it should show
.pioua because someone it does not
like or who will not cater to it, advo.
Gates national necessity. If a nation