The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-16
Editorial Comment
on Current Subjects
PRESIDENT WILSON IN WAR AND
PEACE,
(From the Chicago Tribune.)

(From the Chicago Tribune.)
The complete record of the Wilson
administration in war and peace Is
written In the designations of Bryan
and Garrison. Bryan went hastily
from the Wilson cabinet because the
President was provoking war. CARR.
son went angrily because the Presi.
dent. provoking war, was not prepar-
ing for 1t.
Mr.. Bryan was the altruist in the
Wilson cabinet, hopeful, foolish man
who thought he could use a fountain
pen for the reformation of humanity.
He was foolish in his hopes, but lie has
a Nebraska common sense which
taught him to recognize danger sig
nal when he saw 1t. He saw not only
one but number Of them, and as u
pacific man he got out of an admins.
tration which was doing everything
1t could to provoke q war.
We do not ask any voter to accept
The Tribune's statement Of the diff
culties which Mr.. Wilson made for
peace to surmount. Mr.. Bryan more
than any one, other than Roger C. Sui
liyan. made Mr.. Wilson president, and
MIR. Wilson, as president. out of prop.
er gratitude, made Mr.. Bryan secre.
tary Of state, in which position he
floundered around like an eel In q dry
clayhole.
Mr.. Bryan, being an egotist like
Henry Ford, thought he could make
the human race over by talking to It,
and Bryan began acting the way VII.
son talks. Bryan had that advantage
over Wilson. He actually tried TO put
what he thought into acts. Mr.. VII.
son never tries to do that. Mr.. vii.
son chooses to think and talk IN one
fashion and act In another.
Mr.. Bryan resigned when he saw
where he was Icing dragged by the
Presidents marvellous illogicality. MIR.
Bryan said that Mr.. Wilson was drag.
ging us into war as rapidly as ne
could. That was true statement. 1t
is not ours. 1t is the statement Of the
great pacifist, Mr.. Bryan.
MIR. Garrison. the exact opposite OF
Mr.. Bryan, was not interested In peace
treaties. Mr.. Garrison, secretary OF
war, was interested only in seeing that
the nation should be prepared to stand
the shock of airy emergency its fate
or its diplomacy got 1t into. Mr.. Gar.
rison resigned because Mr.. Wilson
was intellectually Indifferent TO any
reasonable program of defense.
These critics of Mr.. Wilson were
not men in the opposing party who
might be expected TO hunt for flaws
In his reasoning and in his acts. They
were men of his own party, so well es-
teemed by him that he had given one
the post Of secretary OF state, in which
post man is expected to keep the ma
ton out Of war, and the other the post
Of secretary OF war, In which post a
man is expected to see that the nation
is prepared for war.
1t is the complete criticism of Mr..
Wilson that the two men he had Sc
lected for these positions resigned in
dismay and disgust. Mr.. Bryan quit
because Mr.. Wilson was urging us
toward war. Mr.. Garrison quit be-
cause Mr.. Wilson was not allowing US
to get prepared for war.
What can Republican add to this
criticism Of the Wilson administra-
ton by the men who we:i in touch
with its motives and purposes? What
could partisan opposed to Wilson
say that woulu be moro damaging? Re-
publicans need go no further than the
correspondence between Mr.. Wilson
and Mr.. Bryan, pacifist and DESTROYS
of keeping peace, and that between
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Garrison, prac.
tical man DESTROYS Of being prepared
for war.
Both. seeing intimately how Mr.. vii.
son acted, resigned to escape respon.
sibility for Mr.. Wilson's acts. What
more need be said? He chose these
men. They Saw him work. They got
out from under.
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