New-York tribune., 1916-02-12

ticians that he would lose popularity II we
were involved in Mexico. We spoke brave
~ to Germany and we ate our words pub
licly because Mr. Wilson changed his views
as to the popular policy between times.
The great service Mr.. Garrison has rem
dercd his country is twofod. He has de
stroyed all possible faith in the sham de
fence scheme Mr.. Wilson was prepared TO
accept He has disclosed Mr.. Wilson in
the act of conscnting to piece of oppor-
tunism which could only be accepted by a
politician who placed personal advantage
above patriotic considerations.
Il is easy enough for the politicians and
the party papers 10 pretend that Mr.. Car
risons retirement is merely a regrettablc
incident. But the pretence is too flmsy to
deceive even the least obscrvant. Mr.. Gar
rison has confirmed the belief of many. the
suspicious of thousands. and his letters
hereafter will convince yet more thousands
that the present Administration places poll
tics above principles and that there is no
room in it for a man who believes with all
his heart and soul in principle and will
not sacrifice that principle to any consider
alton of expediency.
The American people will understand
better now the essential sham and hypoc-
risy of the Lusitania note They will see
our German policy stripped Of the last YES
tice of decent covering. They will perceive
that national honor was there sacrificed TO
political consideration. precisely as they
will see in the Garrison incident the rcadl-
ness to sacrifice national defence TO the
same dcbasing consideration. Mr.. Garrl-
son has done more than to expose an Nd
ministration. He has wrecked IL.
1t is a wholesome lesson that the Ameri-
can people are learning. if it Is bitter
lesson. Mr.. Wilson has endeavored to con-
vince this country that the word was all;
that it was Of small consequence what a
man believed. what he loved what he was
willing to live for and TO die for; that what
was important. essential. was that we
should he able TO face the succeeding
phases of public life with fortunate
phrase. happy sentence, with words that
had no meaning in will or faith or pur-
pose. but appealed to the imagination and
satisfied the vanity.
Il is easy 70 imagine a time when such
a policy might have long endured and
perhaps permanently escaped detection. II
is simple to fancy an age in national and
international life when public man could
live by phrase alone But unfortunately
for Mr.. Wilson this is not the time and
this is not the world in which such
method could long persuade.
From one end of this planet to the other
nations are asking of their leaders not that
they shall be adroit but that they shall be
true; not that they shall talk. but that they
shall act above all. that they shall believe,
that they shall believe strongly and. belev
ing. go forth. whether to battle or to coun-
Gil, prepared to stand by their faith and
their colors, whatever be the cost and what
ever the event. Men and nations are ask
ing not that those who would lead be great.
but that they be honest, and those who fail,
who cannot meet this test, are being relent-1
lessly "scrapped' in every land under the
sun
Mr.. Garrison has not destroyed Wood
row Wilson. No one but Mr.. Wilson him
self could DO that. But now that Mr.. Gar
rison has spoken it is no longer possible to
mistake the fact or fail to perceive the end.