Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-06-03


BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
ACTIONS speak louder than
words" and however strong was the
Americanism of the Baltimore plat
form, however strong the American
ism of the st. Louis platform may be
made, the electors of the United
States will judge the Democratic
party by the actions of its admins
tration. not by the eloquent words Of
tho President not by tho assertions
OF members of the cabinet, not by
the declarations of the orators in the
campaign
The Americanism of the declara-
tion in the Baltimore platform for
exemptions from tolls OF American
coastwise vessels passing through
the Panama Canal was approved by
ABS electoral votes OF the States,
secured by the ballots Of 6,3OO,000
Democratic voters. who believed in
that platform declaration.
Was it America first" when a
Democratic administration and
Democratic Congress knocked that
Americanism squarely in the head
and deprived American vessels Of the
advantages OF the national canal?
What American citizen in 1912
could read without admiration for
its patriotic declaration the following
sentence from the Baltimore plat
form;
fThe constitutional rights Of
American citizens should protect
them on our borders and 80 with
them throughout the world, and
every American citizen residing or
having property in any foreign coun-
try Is entitled to and must be given
the full protection of the United
States government, both for himself
and his property"
These words ring with American
ism, and tho Americans in Mexico in
1912 read them. as did our country
men at home, with the feeling that
the party OF Jefferson, of Monroe, of
Jackson, of Pierce, of Cleveland
good in the twentieth century as the
glorious leaders named had done
during the 100 years before. The
words were all right in 1912.
They are right today They will
be right for all time to come.
But what Of the action? What of
which came into power on this
promise?
Ask the Captain Of the American
ship Green Briar, from which an ar
rogant British officer hauled down
the Stars and Stripes.
Ask our meat packers who want
TO serve the nations of Northern
Europe with meat products.
A
whose ship is detained for weeks and
months in British harbors
Ask our exporters who have had
business connection in Europe for
years and who try to uphold and to
extend them
Ask the American who wants TO
carry on correspondence with friends
or business people in the neutral
countries of Europe and in the
European Central Powers.
Ask the German captains who res
cued our people from the murderers
who bounded them in the ports of
Tampico and Manzanillo
Ask the admiral and the captains
of our own squadron ordered from
Tampico while hundreds Of American
men, women and children were left
in that Mexican port.
Ask those weary American wan
derers, the refugees from Mexico
Ask the British consuls who
opened their homes to our citizens
hunted by Mexican mobs
They will respond; every one Of
them Will tell the story. but the
marked and unmarked graves OF the
hundreds Of noble citizens Of our
country murdered by Mexican assas-
sins during the past three years tell
the tale of Democratic protection Of
our people more truly and eloquently
than all the other witnesses that can
be called. Every plank of the St.
Louis platform may be saturated
with Americanism, but the American
blood that has saturated Mexican
soil since March A, 1913, will bear
Witness ais TO the infinite difference
between party promise and party
performance.
II is an era Of Americanism. The
issue is made for this campaign.
What does Woodrow Wilson's rec
ord testify to?