Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-10-10
Pinchot for Hughes.
BELIEVES THE DEMOCRATIC ADMINS
TRATIoN HAS NOT MADE GOOD.

It 10 the duty Of every American oft.
izen to make and support openly bis
choice among the candidates for the
Presidency. That duty is especially
solemn this year because great events
and great decisions are certain to con-
front us during the next Administrstiop.
l am writing to give you my reasons for
my own choice.
am neither Democrat nor Repub-
lican, but q Progressive. Yet, there
being no Progressive nominee, unless I
choose to suppart candidate who can
not be elected, must vote for either
Wilson or Hughes.
For many months after his inaugura.
ton, thought we'll OF President Wilson.
In many respects liked what he said
about what he was going to do. He
talked we'll and made good impression.
It was only when began to check up
what he said by what be did that was
forced to change my view.
In the end came to see that President
Wilson has greater power than any
other man in public life to say one thing
but do another, and get away with 1t.
The facts which justify this statement
are common knowledge.
We have all heard him tell Germany
publicly that she would be held to strict
accountability; and have learned after
ward 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 fail
ure to exact reparation, apology, or even
disavowal for the murder of Americans
on the Lusitania.
I do not say that Wilson should have
thrust US into war. There was no need
to give us peace with self-respect. II
would not have skidded from one crisis
to the next, again and again narrowly
escaping disaster.
We have all heard him declare against
Intervention 10 Mexico, while actually
intervening to dictate who should and
who should not hold Office there; and de-
nounce war against Mexico while actual
ly engaged In war.
With war on every side of Us, we all
heard him, in his second annual mes
sage, solemnly assure the country that
we had not been negligent OF National
defense. 1t was not true; and later on
he himself proved that 1t was not true by
proclaiming aloud the need for what he
had solemnly assured us We already had.
For over year after the wOrldwar
began, Wilson did not raise finger to
put rs in condition Of defense. Only
the proverbial good luck OF America has
kept us from paying the bitterest price
for his unforgivable neglect.
We have all heard him rtdicule the
idea of a greater navy, then declare for
incomparably the greatest navy in the
world, and then 60 back on that.
We have all heard him declare for ex-
empting our coast wise trade from tolls
in the Panama Canal; and have seen him
show our own people and the English
that he did not mean 1t.
We have seen him elected on a plat
form which pledged him to single term
az President, and then become candi.
date for another term.
We have all heard him declare for the
Conservation of our natural resources;
and have seen him neglect that policy,
and refuse his help to defeat the Shields
waterpower bill, the most dangerous at
tack on Conservation since Ballinger's
effort to turn Alaska over to the Gug-
genheims.
We have all heard him declare for
efficiency In Government, and have seen
him set the pork first and throw
efficiency away. I have known official
Washington from the inside for six Ad.
ministrations. In that time the Govern
ment business has never been SO badly
done and so extravagantly as 1t Is now
done under Wilson.
We have all heard him announce him.
self az the champion of Civil Service re-
form; and have seen him turn the Gov
eminent Departments over to the spoils-
men as no other President has done In
twenty years.
We have all heard him declare for pit
less publicity; and have seen him con-
duct the most secret Administration OF
our time.
We have all heard him announce him
self as President of all the people, and
have seen him, as the most partisan
President of bis generation, fout and
oppose the Progressives, whom now, be-
cause he needs them, he seeks to concil-
late and enlist.
Worst OF all is this: When every prin-
ciple of freedom and equality for which
our fathers fought was at stake In the
great war, when our whole country
eagerly awaited the leadership of the
President, Wilson lodged. he refused
to take sides on the greatest moral issue
of our time. He advised our people to
be neutral even in thought" undecided
between right and wrong. While our
friends abroad we're fighting for the
principles We held equally with them, he
taught us that profit and ease were
better thai self-respect. President Will
son has done our Nation the most seri-
GUS injury that any leader can do to any
people by making rs finch with him
from great moral decision. Thereby
he weakened our hold as nation on the
principles which alone can make any
people self.respecting, safe and strong.
Having led rs wrong on the ground
that We must be neutral In the face of
the deliberate breaking of the worlds
peace, he has just reversed himself again,
and in his speech at Shadow Lawn now
assures us that mo nation can any long
or remain neutral as against any wilful
disturbance of the peace of the world"
1t is bad enough that Wilson's foreign
policy has left us, as the war draws
toward tia end. without a friend among