The Owosso times., 1916-05-19
KEY NOTE FOR PROTECTION.
Continued from page ~
Real Americanism.

"There is another kind of 'protec
ton which America needs, and t.
which Republicanism has always beer
loyalE'protection' Of American live.
and property, protection Of American
sovereignty and honor. Wherefore
shall we not rightly be entitled t.
proclaim to our cOuntrymen that the
protection to which Republicanism
will subscribe is not the protection
which winks at the invasion of the
state Of Arizona and the city OF
'Naco,' where the unrequited shoot.
ing or killing of more than so Ameri.
can men and women two years age
was the forerunner Of the recent mas
sacre at Columbus, which was too
awful to longer be ignored. Not the
protection which suffers 800 and
more of our own flesh and blood to
give up their lives as sacrifices to
watchful waiting south of the Rio
Grande, where our inaction when hu-
manity' cried out to us on our own
continent must have delayed the ef-
fectiveness of our voice when finally
raised in the name of humanity ,
elsewhere. Not the protection which
finds the White House deaf to Texas
prayers for military aid upon her
borders, but which finds the White
House active and alert in effort to
suspend the mandate of the law when
Utah sentences an anarchistic muir
derer to death. Not the protection
which is willing to leave thousands
upon thousands Of American citizens
and millions upon millions of Ameri-
can investments in the Philippine is
lands at the cowardly mercy of pre-
mature Filipino independence an
nexation by covetous powers. Rather,
the protection which shall make the
legitimate rights of every American
in person and poverty-sacred on
our borders and throughout the
world.
Sacrifices in Vain.
"Two years ago this morning the
battleship Montana left the harbor of
Vera Cruz and headed for New York.
On her forward deck were piled the
coffins of II American bluejackets
and marines who gave their last full
measure Of devotion to their country
and their flag. Their remains were
received with all the honors with
which the republic could repay their
martyrdom. But for what did they
die? What national benefit did they
purchase with their lives? Absolute
ly none. AS the climax to a pestering
and unprecedented campaign of in
reference in Mexican affairs-an in
reference infinitely more untenable
and vicious than complete armed in
tervention could have ever been-we
marched up the hill at Vera Cruz and
then marched down again. No salute
to the flag did we secure. No guaran-
ties for American lives and property
did we command. No aid toward the
establishment of constitutional gov
ernment did we render. The same
week when General Funston asked
for reinforcements
Washington told Funston to with
draw. We went in and we came out
without one single tangible result
other than that typifed by the preci-
Gus remains which the battleship
Montana brought back home to us two
years ago today.
"This incident is notable because
it is so eloquently typical. We have
been marching up the hill and march
ing down again in more international
crises than one. The result has been
to make it the more difficult for us to
now march up a hill and stay there.
God grant that the United States may
never taste the bitterness of another
great war. The jingoist who wants
war belongs to an asylum for the
criminal insane. But it is my solemn
judgment-and in it | am but reflect
ing the pronounced opinions of many
men much more able to judge than /
that we have drifted far closer to
the brink of war during the past
three years than would have ever
come-Or ever will come-by a per-
petual and unbeatable maintenance
of American rights and American
sovereignty wherever they may be at
stake. ~
The Peril of Drifting.
The speaker then made a strong
plea for adequate national defense,
declaring that any other course is to
invoke "Chinese logic with a Chinese
net result" "The ostrich--thinking
he is safe because his head is buried
in the sand-is Solomon in all his
wisdom compared with the Uncle
Sham who carries a chip on each
shoulder and both arms in a sling"
Then, referring to presidential and
congressional change of front on this