The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-09-29
pinchOt'S View
A Progressive Who Will Vote for
Hughes

his choice among the candidates for
the Presidency. That duty is
especially solemn this year because
great events and great decisions are
certain to confront US during the
next administration. | am writing
to give you my reason for my own
choice. Il am neither a Democrat
nor a Republican. but progressive.
Yet, there being no Progressive
nominee. unless | choose to suppor
ia candidate who can not be elect
ed, | must vote for either Wilson
or Hughes.
For many months after his in
auguration,I thought we'll Of Pre-
sident Wilson. In many respects
| like what he said about what he
was going to do. He talked well
an made good impression. 1t was
only when began to check up
what he said by what he did that
| was forced to change my view.
In the end ! came to see that
President Wilson has a greater
power than any other man in
public life to say one thing but do
another, and get away with it.
The facts which justify this
staetment are common knowledge.
I'VE have all heard him tell
Germany publicly that she would
be held to strict accountability;
and have learned afterwards that
he had actually let her know
secretly at the time, by the mouth
of his Secretary of State through
the Austrian Ambassador, that
what he said he did not mean. We
have all seen him prove that he did
not mean it by his total failure to
exact reparation, apology or even
disavowal for the murder, of
Americans on the Lusitania.
II do not say that Wilson should
have thrust US into war. There
is no need Of war. But there was
need Of courage to give us peace
with selfrespect. If Wilson had
shown courage this country would
not have skidded from one crisis to
another, again and again narrowly
escaping disaster.
I'VE have all herd him declare
against intervention in Mexico,
while actually intervening to dictate
who should and who should not hold
office there; and denounce war
against Mexico while actually en-
gagged in war.
with war on every side Of us, we
all heard him, in his second annual
message, solemnly assure the coun-
try that we had not been negligent
Of National defense. 1t was not
true. and later on he himself prov
ed that it was not true by proclaim
ing aloud the need for what he had
solemnly assured US we already had
For more than year after the
world war began, Wilson did not
raise a finger to put us in position
Of defense. Only the proverbial
good luck Of America has kept us
from paying the bitterest price for
his unf orgivable neglect.
I'VE have all heard him ridicule
the idea Of greater navy, then
declare for incomparably the great
est navy in the world, and then go
back on that.
We have all heard him declare
for exempting our coast-wide trade
from tolls in the Panama canal
and have seen him show our own
,ole and the English that he did
,et ret- r,o.,, it.
40: "We 1tsh have seq. him elected std on y, a a
planform which uledgeo nm 70 .
single term as Presi,... ..ent, and then
become a candidate TO- another
term.
I'VE have all heard him declale
for the conservation of our national
resources and have seen him neglect
that policy, and refuse his help tode-
feat the Shields Waterpower bill,
the most dangerous attack on con-
servation since Ballinger's effort
to turn Alaska over to the Guggen-
helms.
Eve have all heard him declare
for efficiency in government, and
have seen him set the pork-barrel
first and throw efficiency away. /
have known official Washington
from the inside for six Administra-
tions. In that time the Government
business has never be n so badly
done and so extravagantly as is
now done under Wilson.
We have all heard him announce
as the champion of Civil
Service reform, and have seen him
turn the Government Departments
over to the spoilsmen as no other
president has done it in twenty