Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-10-03
ABLE LETTER FROM
GENERAL WINKLER

Gen. Winkler of Milwaukee, who re-
Gently came out in favor of Woodrow
Wilson for president, was made the
subject of complimentary resolutions
at the democratic platform conven-
tion recently held in Milwaukee, In
reply, Gen. Winkler sent the follow
ing letter to the democratic state CEN
trail committee which everyone should
read. Gen. Winkler was born in Ger
many and has been a lifelong re-
publican. His remarkable letter is
as follows:
Dear. Sir:
l beg to acknowledge your favor of
the goth inst. transmitting copy of a
resolution personal to myself adopted
by the Democratic Platform CoIven-
tion at Madison. Words kindly spoken
are always grateful, and I return to
the members of the Convention,
through you, my sincere thanks for
the f1attering commendation.
| do not, however, quite see how /
deserve it. | make claim to no eX-
ceptional patriotism. l have simply
done what seemed to me my duty.
Like other men, 1 take my positions
The last three years have been a
strenuous period for the President of
the United States. The responsible
ties thrown upon him, the difficulties
and perpleXing questions which have
heset him have far exceeded those of
any other man living on this continent.
He was President of the United States.
Every step he took, every move he
made had to be viewed from the stand
point of that high Office. The rules of
international law and the laws of his
country were his inevitable guide.
The maintenance of the rights and
peace of his country and the protec-
tiOn of its citizens were his necessary
aims. To the discharge of these duties
President Wilson brought unques-
toned devotion, very great ability and
steady firmness of judgment coupled
with the moderation becoming to his
great Office. And with success. While
the most frantic Of wars involves all
Europe, the United States and all their
inhabitants are in the full enjoyment
of peace. Hindsight, to be sure, will
find its flaws, but that is cheap logic.
l am deeply persuaded that no man in
the Presidential chair could, with
safety to our country, have pursued a
substantially different course from
that of President or conducted it with
fewer errors. His course, founded on
the acknowledged principles of Inter
national Law, has been just and i'm
partial to all warning nations. | know
that this last proposition has been Sc
verely arraigned and not infrequently
denounced with unbecoming violence.
| make no challenge of the sincerity
of his critics. But one cannot resist
the conviction that their judgment is
warped by highly excited sympathies.
1t is true that the Sympathies are nat
ural. But is is also true that in their
tendency excited feelings are very
misleading, and when not rigidly con-
trolled, lead to biased and Suntrust-
worthy judgments. / too, have racial
predictions and the experiences of
lifetime have taught me the severe
discipline required, especially on pol
itical subjects, to subordinate feelings
where unalloyed reason is called for.
We are still in the throes of the
European conflict and also in struggle
for a 'modum vivendi'' with Mexico.
In both cases the cause of America is
in the hands of the President. While
he is in undoubted good faith bending
all his energies to maintain our rights,
our interests and our honor, should we
not stand by him and sustain his
hands? By contemptuous sneers at
his incompetence and ineficiency are
we not like the bird that befouls it's
own nest? By throwing him ont of
office and putting an untried man in
his place to take up his work anew,
do we enhance the strength and pres
tige of our country? Do we not pro-
claim to those with whom we have
controversies that we are an unstable
lot likely to undo tomorrow what we
have laboriously accomplished today?
ARE WE A NATION ?