Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-06-18

man who wrote tue aIIieAS' !"
that to Justify it, the writer must first
establish that I am the only man that
wanted the ship purchase bill passed.
and that, necessarily. every argument
and every fact cited going to show the
dreadful error of defeating it, is a
matter which affects me personally,
alone or chiefly.
It is true that I introduced in Con-
gress the first bill to purchase ships
But It is also true that this policy was
later on taken up by the administra-
ton, with an absolutely undivided cab
met, and pushed with every patriotic
appeal that the President and cabinet
could make to Democratic Senator'S. 1t
is true that I did not have to come to-
the position of the Administration.
because was at it from the jump, but
it is nonsense to call the policy adopted
'the Williams policy" when 1t was
the Democratic policy-Democratic at
the White House, in the House OF
I Representatives and in the Senate OF
the United States. except as to seven
men who defied the Democracy in all
three branches Of the government and
in the country.
This is no time to badger words about
political advantage. one way or the
other. The question which was pre-
sented was one Of advantage to the
economical interests Of the country
and especially to the producers OF cot
ton and lumber.
The measure urged by the President
was not measure of permanent poll
cy, but as a war emergency measure
to meet war emergency, leaving to
Congress, of course, as it necessarily
must have been left, the power to ter
minated the situation, whenever, in the
view OF Congress, the emergency had
passed, or when. in the view Of Con-
gress, it was for the good of the peo-
pie and of business that it should be
terminated.
J That great Jeffersonian Democrat,
Woodrow Wilson-a man the very
farthest possible removed from Ham
iltonian Federalistic theories = would
not have advocated even an emergency
ownership by the government OF ships
except for the great, might, perhaps,
say, the almost vital necessity OF it
necessity so vital that it placed the
: measure under the operation OF the
4 great rule that 'sse,f-preseryatson is
\ the first law of nature" and the other
!, great rule that the safety of the re-
public is the highest good.
If cannot regret the failure OF a
e great Democratic measure, made 30
t by Democratic caucus of the House
), and Democratic conference of the
), Senate and by Democratic President
! and a Democratic cabinet, without
s being accused Of selfish and personal
motives, then politics in Mississippi
hove fallen to very exceedingly low
and absolutely personal level.
Everybody knows that If there had
y been plenty of American ships for
q American citizens to travel on, they
would not have taken unnecessary
risks, howeaer much protected by the
2 solemn sanctions of the law of nations,
t on ships belonging to subjects OF citit
zens Of belligerent countries.
1t is not my habit usually to take
notice of newspaper criticism. except
some times when campaign is on. but
am sure that this courteous letter
. will be excused by those who realize
the weight which is carried by an ut
terance of the Columbus Dispatch,
which is great at all times, and more
g especially great while its editor is one
of the trusted and chosen employees of
: the party to which l proudly adhere.
This is all the more true in view of the
serious fact that the European war
threatens to endure for many months
9 perhaps even for years-and that if it
does, we must yet pass ship pur-
chase bill, If we do no not wish to
n continue to suffer financial exploitation
t and endure further risks for the lives
4 of our men, women and children-or
. else take up arms to put an end to the
latter evil.
/ am, with every expression of re-
e gard, very truly yours,
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS.
C~.n%So Cr~o1o~s