The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-07-07


war. My friends, / have differed
from our President on some of the
methods employed in this war, but
am one of those who desire sincerely
that this nation shall not become 8
participant in the dreadful conflict
Precedent Of Peace Vital
If this convention had done nothing
more, it has justified its assembling
by the speech made in the presence of
this audience yesterday by the dis
tinguished gentleman from New York
who presided as your temporary chair
man. He has piled up precedent upon
precedent, and all the Democrats oil
the Union have now to DO in order To
answer any criticism of che Presi-
dents refusal to go to war, or in the
settlement of the difficulties that have
arisen, he can take the precedcnts
cited by him and ask. as he did, what
did the former chief executives of
this country do-did they go to war +?
No, they settled he problem as our
President has tried to do in the pres
ent crisis.
My friends, we do not know when
it will be possible to bring this war to
close, but we do know that ours, the
greatest neutral nation, is the one to
which the world is looking to act as
mediator when the time for mediation
comes.
| appeal to the sense of justice of
the American people, when in Gods
time that honor of mediation shall
fall to this nation, is it fair that the
honor shall fall to one who has not
borne the burden in the heat of the
day? Is not the President of the
United States, who for two years has
borne a burden such as few men on
earth have ever been called upon to
carry bcfore-if he had been able to
protect the neutrality of this nation
and to save it from participation in
this awful war--does not the offer of
being peacemakcr come to him and to
the party that selected him and put
him in the White House?
Who Shall be Mediator?
Why does the Republican party,
some of whose leaders have tried to
force the President into this war,
come out now when their efforts have
failed, and ask the honor of being me-
diator between the contending ma
tions
But. my countrymen, we have
record upon which we can appeal to
the people for their support, without
fear and without blush. ] believe the
American people, grateful for what
this administration has done, grateful
that we have peace in this country
while war stalks throughout the
world. will not be unmindful Of the
fact that it was Democratic Pres
ident, supported by Democratic SEN
ate and House who has thus saved the
country the horrors of that war.
But. my friends, who can say what
part this nation is destined to play in
the future history of the world? |
love my party, not only for what it
has done in the past, but for what it
must do in the future, as the peoples
instrument in protecting their rights
and guarding their interests. And
when the day comes for the worlds
peace to be restored and for the
treaties to be written that will guard
against future wars. what admins
tration is more worthy of the honor
than this administration that has Civ
EN- to three-quarters of the world a
treaty plan that makes war remote
possibility among all the principal ma
tons of the earth?
Opportunity of the Nation
Ny friends. l believe that there is
now before this country an opportun-
ity such as no other country has ever
had since the beginning of time. | !
believe that God, in His providence.
has reserved for the United States
the honor and the task of lifting the
moral code that governs individuals
up to the level of nations and making
it part of the code of all the ma
tons.
There is picture that has attract
ed comment wherever it has been seen
the picture of Christ before PLATE, |
Pilot represented the mower of the
Roman Government, and back of him