The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-01
Rays Presidents Peace With
Mexico More Bloody
Than War.
|MS POLICIES ARE WEAK
! Nation Can Regain Self Re-
spect by Electing
Hughes.


! night before q large audience made
! his first speech in the Maine cam
paign. He spoke in part as follows:
! Thanks to the fact that President
(; Wilson has sometimes led US wrong.
and sometimes not led us at all. and
that at the best he has merely follow
ed afnr off when convinced that 1t
was politically safe to do SO. We are
:. at this moment no more prepared to
defend ourselves rnan We were two
years ago when the world-war broke
: out. At last We have begun the work
OF restoring our navy to the position
It formerly held; but It will take
years to undo the harm done when in
1910 the Democratic party gained con-
troll Of the House and stopped unbuild-
ing the navy; and 1t is entirely impos-
sible to make the navy what Is should
be made as long as we have Presi.
dent who appoints and retains at its
head q public official Of the type of
Z Mr.. Daniels. Our Regular Army
should be increased to quarter OF
million men, with a short.service
term OF enlistment; this would give
us a mobile army OF $4,000 mon,
enough to patrol the Mexican border
without help from the National Guard,
when Mr.. Wilson halts between feeble
! peace and feeble war. But this Is not
enough. The events OF the past two
years have shown that no people can
permanently preserve its freedom I'M
less that people Is trained to arms.
Above all, this Is true Of democracy.
The enjoyment OF right must go hand
in hand with the performance OF duty.
There should be in this country sys-
TEN OF universal obligatory military
training in time OF peace. and In time
of war universal service In whatever
capacity the man or woman shall be
{ Judged most ut to serve the Common.
wealth.
At this moment Mr.. Wilson and
Mr.. Wilson's fuglemen advance as his
greatest claim that "he has kept us
out Of war" This claim can be seri-
ousiy made only by individuals who
endorse President Wilson's belief that
deeds are nothing. and words every
thing. War means a clash between
the armed forces OF two countries.
:, Under President Mckinley We had
n war with Spain. Under President
Wilson We are assured that we have
had .peace" with Mexico. Fewer Am
orleans were killed by the Spaniards
that have been killed by Mexicans dur
( ing the present peace" with Mex
ico. Moreover, when the war with
Spain was through, 1t was through.
But peace still continues to rage as
furiously as ever in Mexico. Mr.. Nc.
Kinley's war cost less bloodshed than
Mr.. Wilson's peace; and It reflected
high honor on The American people;
: whereas Mr.. Wilson's peace has been
one Of shame and dishonor for the
American peopla and one Of ruin
and bloodshed for the MeXicans them
selves.
Mr.. Wilson says he did not wage
war with Mexico. II he takes any
comfort out OF. this denial. let US not
insist upon the proper Technology. and
admit that he merely waged peace
with Mexico. Well. as one incident
Of his waging peace, We took Vera
Cruz. In Mr.. McKinley's war we took
Mar liza; and Dewey's fleet lost few
or men in the operation that result
ed in the fall OF Manila than were lost
in the taking OF Vera Cruz. Under
these conditions. OF what earthly con-
sequence is It to assert that the TAX.
ing Of Vera Cruz was an act OF peace.
and the taking OF Manila an act Of
war?
The real difference was that Mr..
Wilson became frightened and aban-
doned Vera Cruz, whereas Mr.. Nc
Kinley did not abandon Manila. Mr..
Wilson's operations were war lust
as much as Mr.. McKinley's. But Mr..
L., Ii Ts
was a war which was entered into
pointlessly and abandoned ignobly;
IT. was war which failed: war which
did damage both to the Mexicans and
ourselves, and which In Its outcome
reflected infinite dishonor upon our
Nation. But It was a war, neverthe.
less.
Again. in March last, Villa made a
raid into American territory. He was
a bandit leader whose career OF sue
cessful infamy had been greatly aided
by Mr.. Wilson's favor and backing.
II was announced in the press dis
patches from Washington that he was
to be taken dead or alive" Fine
swords! only-they meant nothing.
He is not dead. He has not been tax.
.en alive.
Before June !, in this futile cxpedi-
ton against villa, more Americans
had been killed and wounded than in
all the fights by land and sea during
the Spanish war; save only the bat.
tie Of Santiago itself. In other words,
during this murderous peace" Of
Messrs. Wilson and Carranza, In less
than three months more American
blood was shed than in the destruction
OF the Spanish feet at Manila, and
than in the destruction OF the Span
ish feet OF Santiago. and than in the
taking OF Manila, and than in the. figh.
at Guasimas; in short. in all the op-
erations combined during the Span.
ish war, save only the actual hattie
OF Santiago itself. And yet there
are persons who seemingly take COM
fort In speaking Of one set OF opera
tons as being war. and who praise
the other set as being part OF our
policy OF peace"-the blood.stained
/ peace Of Messrs. Wilson and Car.
rama.
President Wilson took Vera Cruz
in 1914, as We were officially inform.
ed at the time. to get salute for
a.. -tf