Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-10-20
WILSON AND CLEVELAND.
Former Senator Edmunds Replies to
olney's Defense Of Administration
Scores Silence in Case Of Belgium.

Former Senator OeOTgc F. Fun unu5
of Vermont, replying to defence of
Wilson administration by former
Secretary Oney, declared that Grover
Cleveland under whom Mr.. Olncy held
Office, placed national honor and duty
above the danger of warfare when he
declared that one of our sister republics
should not be invaded. Contrasting
! President Wilson s course in the rail
road strike situation with that of Pres
ident Cleveland in the Chicago strike,
Mr.. Edmunds said that Cleveland mott
fed the strikers that all the powers Of
the administration, including armed
force, would be exerted TO maintain
the supremacy and execution of the
law.
Mr.. Edmunds attacked the Wilson
administration for its absolute silence
during the invasion of Belgium, and
declared that it stood by like Apostle
Paul at the martyrdom of stephen,
"consenting." The former senator ridi-
culed the idea of the Republican con
gress resorting to filibustering to save
the Democrats from passing asininc
legislation. The statement i'll part fol
lows
"'When the innocent and peaceful
people OF fJclRluHl WClt llt WV
tins of sudden war deliberately com
}, menced by Germany and carried on
with atrocities then hitherto unknown
among nations that even called them
selves civilized, there was never a re-
monstrance by our government to its
friend and associate in the brotherhood
of nations, but it stood by like Paul
at the martyrdom of Stephen, consent
" IN, ron1 aHoot nm
ally of Germany whom she intended to
retain, and has since retained by skill
in endless discussions.
"Had this administration spoken, as
? have no doubt every member of it
would have wished to speak, Germany
and her allies would have been told
: that we could have no intercourse with
nations that disregarled the settled
principles of international law as well
as of humanity, and had they continued
in such a course their representatives
would have been sent home and our
ministers recalled. Such action would
have been in no sense any cause for
war.
"In President Cleveland s admins
, tration we compelled the recall of the
: British minister for having advised an
$ English American to vote the Demo
cratic ticket at an election. 1t would
have been ridiculous folly for Germany
| to declare war against the United
/ States, but if she had done SO, we
e should have been compelled to become
f a belligerent, which would have put
!. Germany and very likely all her allies
including the Turks, in the attitude
of making voluntary and deliberate
n aggressive war upon us for having felt
q and expressed horror at their conduct
with Belgium.
"When the deliberate murder of the
passengers on the Lusitania occurred
: the present administration did com.
y plain, while in Germany celebrations
y etc, took place in honor of the awful
: tcrimc, and nothing whatever was done
= by our administration except to talk
. which must have been delightful tC
' the Germans, for nothing apparently
P could be done, it was thought, until
the discussions came to close-as
- they have not yet done. The President
was respectfully urged by some, prob
= ably many, citizens to suspend inter
} course with Germany, recall our diplo-
} matte representatives, and give the
= German ambassador here his passports.
Nothing was done but continued and
recontinued discussions.
''There is another subject in Mr.. o.
, ncy's article claiming credit for the
! administration S dealings with the
South American republics in respect of
Mexico, and the united action of some
of those countries in respect of their
foreign affairs. All this may be very
well, but praise for it belongs to an
earlier administration, Republican in
name and character
- Mr.. Cleveland in the strike at Chi
cago, gave notice to the strikers that
all the power his administration could
exert would be exerted to maintain
the supremacy and execution of the
law, and that any violation of it by the
strikers of their friends would be re-
sisted, or, if need be, prevented by
force of arms. The strike was uuclled.
and peace and order prevailed.
In the great strike of 1916, the
striking labor unions stood with the
club of force in their hands, and the
president and his administration and
congress were quelled, and made haste
to come to time, as in the conduct of
a prize fight.
Mr.. Olney, in his article, appears to
think that the Republican members of
congress were to blame in not resort.
ing to what is called a flibuster to
save the administration from its own
eVll legislation. But what duty did the
republicans owe to an administration
that had been employing itself in find
ing ways to satisfy the demands of
the labor unions without telling them.
as the real Democratic President Cleve.
land did, that the law would be en-
FORCED and that every manner of
breaking it would meet with Cleveland
iike opposition and punishment
CO., cannot agree with Mr.. Olney that
hhbustering is even in the present
congress recognized rs legitimate
means of defeating legislation desired
by majority"
FARM RIFT nTNnQ nrCTp nVrn