Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-10-21
What the Daily Press
Says Of Hyphenated Vote
(The Literary Digest,

an offensive telegram from Jeremiah
A. O'Leary, head of an organization
calling itself the American Truth socie
ty, brings the issue of "hyphenism
again sharply to the front in the presi-
Dental campaign. To Mr.. O'Leary's
illusions to "your pro-British policies -
" trucking to the British Empire,' and
dictatorship over congress-, - and his
assurance that 'your foreign policies,
your failure to secure compliance with
all American rights. your leniency with
the British Empire, your approval of
war-loans, the ammunition traffic, are
issues in this campaign the president
replied:
"I would feel deeply mortified to
have you or anybody like you vote for
me. Since you have access to many
disloyal Americans and / have not,
will ask you to convey this message to
them. -
While most of the press does not go
as far as the Brooklyn Citizen (Dem.)
which sees in the president s telegram
"the central issue Of the campaign re-
duced to the simplest terms" or as
the New York World, (Dem.) which
regards "the German drive" against
President Wilson as "the most sins.
ter development of American political
life since secession,o the rebuke ad-
minstered to Mr.. o O'Leary is hailed with
widespread approval. "We venture to
say remarks the independent New
York Evening Post, "that it came near
er TO receiving unanimous approval than
anything else that has been said in this
campaign.D This defiance of can in
solent alienism, !" "a pestilent hyphen-
ism, ~ is also applauded by the Spring
field Republican, Qnd.) and by such
republican papers as the Brooklyn
Standard Union and the Philadelphia
Public Ledger. eff there had been
more o 'Leary's in the last few months
President Wilson would have had some
chance of reelection remarks the
Standard Union; and the Brooklyn Ea
gle, (Dem.) notes that the president S
words "express a sentiment to which
all republicans as well as all democrats
who resent the intrusion of alien sym
pathies and alien issues into American
politics will cordially respond. " Turn
ing again to The Public Ledger, we
read
"The foreign relations and policies
of the government undoubtedly are is
sues in the present political campaign,
but they are to be settled solely on the
basis of what is best for America, not
what will serve the interests of some
foreign power. The 'hyphen' is nui
sance and u menace, and both parties
will be the gamers when their leaders
have the honesty and the courage to
repudiate it. Neither the president nor
Mr.. Hughes is seeking or desirous of
disloyal support, whatever may be the
mendacious assertions of partzans to
the contrary"
Nevertheless, remarks the Chicago
Journal (Dem.) "with Mr.. Hughes as
sidi0usly cuddlng the pro.Kaiser vote
and Mr.Roosevelt roundingup the pro-
Ally vote, it is a relief TO have Presi
dent Wilson go on record once more as
desiring nothing but the pro American
vote" The issue this Chicago paper
reminds us, is "not between native and
foreign-born citizens" but "between
men who vote as Americans and men
who vote to uphold the policy and en-
force the will of foreign prince. !"
And in Milwaukee, where the German.
American element is even stronger than
in Chicago, we find The Journal,
(Ind.) commencing President Wilson
for his refusal 'to parley with men of
alien minds" This Milwaukee paper
goes on to say:
"The facts fully justify the presi
dent IS charp policy. 1t was not the first
time that O'Leary had sent an insulting
message to the head of the republic
He has been guilty of violent abuse of
the president. He represents a move
ment organized to use the United States
for the benefit of another country, u
movement hostile to the interests of
our own nation. His society sought to
justify the sinking of the Lusitania,
organized n movement to defeat mem
bers Of congress who would not vote to
lay an embargo on arms and ammuni
tiOn, published veiled threats of an up
rising in this country in the interests
of Germany, and denounced the policy
TO the American government as "bas
tard neutrality 1t has been one of
the most bitter and extreme factors in
the campaign Of alienism that has been
waged in America"
"Chicago knows jeremiah, - remarks
the Chicago Herald (Ind.) which con