Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

q
defenders of Mr.. Wilson have alleged
in excuse for him that he confronted
a difficult situation. As regards Mex
leo, the situation which Mr.. Wilson
| confronted was nothing like as diff
! cult as that which President McKin-
| ley confronted in connection with Cuba
and the Philippines at the time of the
| Spanish War. Under the actual cir
cumstances we could with only mini
mum Of risk have protested on behalf
Of Belgium, small, well-behaved ma
ton, when she was exposed to the
last extremity of outrage by the brut-
| al violation of her neutral nights; this
violation being itself a violation of
| The Hague conventions to which we
were signatory power. As regards
the foreign situation generally during
the great war, the fact of the exist
| ence of the war made it far easier
and safer for Mr.. Wilson to assert
| our rights than if he had had to deal
with some single strong power which
was at the time unhampered by war
During the past twenty years Ques-
lions have arisen with Powers of the
first rank, such as England, Japan and
Germany, each of which has necessi-
tated far greater courage, resolution
and judgment on the part of the Presi-
dent dealing with it than President
Wilson need have shown in order to
put complete stop to the continually
repeated murder of American men,
women and children on the high seas
by German submarines-the Lusitania
being merely the worst of many such
cases. The same feebleness that was
shown by President Wilson in dealing
with Germany abroad was also shown
by him in dealing with the organized
German outrages within our own land,
and, finally, in dealing with the or
ganized German-American vote. The
continued existence of the German
American menace at home is directly
due to Mr.. Wilson's course of action
during the past two years.
Certain of my friends who feel that
the ProgressiVes should run a third
ticket base their feeling on objection
to the character or actions of the Re-
publican National Convention. AS re-
CARDS this point, it is sufficient to say
that the members of the Republicans
National Convention were unquestion-
ably induced to nominate Mr. Hughes
primarily because of the belief that
his integrity and force of character,
and his long record of admirable pub
lie service, would make him peculiar
lily acceptable, not only to the rank
and file of the Republican Party, but
to the people generally. [ do not be-
lieve that Mr.. Hughes would have
been nominated if it had not been for
the fight of public decency and eff
cheney which the Progressive Party
has Waged during the past four years.
In any event, and without any re-
gard to what the personal feelings of
US may be as regards the action of the
Republican Convention, | wish very
solemnly to ask the representatives of
the Progressive Party to consider at
this time only the welfare of the peo-
pie of the United States. We shall
prove false to our ideals and our pro-
fessions if, in this grave crisis of the
Nations life, we permit ourselves to
be swerved from the one prime duty
of serving with cool judgment and
single-mindedness devotion the Ma
tons needs. Our own political for
tunes, Individually and collectively,
are of no consequence whatever, when
compared with the honor and welfare
of the people Of the United States.
Such things do not count when weigh
ed in the balance against our duty to
serve we'll the country in which, after
we are dead, our children and our
children's children are to live
The world is passing through a
great crisis and no man can tell what
trial and jeopardy will have to be
faced by this nation during the years
Immediately ahead. There is now no
longer before US for decision the ques-
ton as to what particular man we
may severally most desire to see at
the head of the government. We can
decide only whether during these pos
sibly vital years this country shall be
entrusted to the leadership of Mr.. |
Hughes or Mr. Wilson.
Mr. Wilson has been tried and
found wanting. His party, because
of its devotion to the outworn theory
of state rights, and because of it's re-
lance upon purely sectional support |
stands against that spirit of far sight |
ed nationalism which is essential if |
we are to deal adequately with our
gravest social and industrial prob |
lens. Mr.. Wilson and his party have |
in actual practice lamentably failed to !
safeguard the interest and honor of |
the United States. They have brought |
us to impotence abroad and to divi- |