Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-11-02

was magnificent thing to see our
point of vantage in Europe 1t made
one thrill to realize that the United
States was his own country.
Now, when return home, | find an
election campaign under way. / hear
men say that we have peace without
honor. We, in the European capitals.
who saw our government escape the
war traps, felt no loss of honor. We
were always able to look the other
fellow in the eye and be proud. No
one over there ever seriously charged
us with loss of honor, and men are
highly sensitive to such things over
there.
We were proud of American sanity
and of American craftsmanship and
that cool. calm reckoning of the Amer
lean people which prevented them
from being stampeded
1t was fine, thrilling thing to be
an American in European capitals and
to know that in our own capital at
Washington there were men as shrewd
and as far-sighted as any of the states
men OF Europe; to know, also, that
the statesmen in Washington were
steadier, saner, less Influenced by hate
and bitterness and better able to Judge
right and wrong, than the wisest
statesmen in Europe.
ana 10 come home now to the Unit
ed States and witness the attempt to
thrust from the guidance of American
affairs the government which had led
the United States through this maze
OF diplomacy and machination is. to
one who has witnessed affairs from
the European end. little short of ter
rifying. 1t is like playing with dyna-
mite.
There is no politics in European ma
tons today. Governments are being
held in their places by coalitions.
Among the neutrals this is also true.
Holland has no politics, and it IS safe:
Switzerland has no politics and it is
safe. Greece did have politics and be-
hold Greece today.
To come home and to behold the
working of politics in this world cri-
sis, is, / repeat, little short of terrify-
ing.
With all the European peoples do
Ing all they can, even to abandoning
elections, in order to keep their gov
ernments intact and unchanged, there
are persons in the United States, who,
out of sheer politics, and by discus
sion of such petty matters, as the re-
mnV91 Of q minor oOvorp,,oon+ Official
seek to overthrow the government.
7 Certainly the steadiness of our govern
ment is as important to us as the
steadlness of their government is to
Germans or BrltiShers; our danger is
as great If not so imminent and ap-
parent as theirs. The certain grasp
OF our present government on war af-
fairs is as important to us as the grasp
of Won Bethmann-Hollweg or Asquith
is to Germany Or England.
Do you know why Zeppelins fly over
London? 1t is not to destroy arsenals
or kill soldiers. 1t is to disgust the
British people with their government
and to provoke them to upset it on
the ground that it is not protecting
them
Men are fighting in Europe now to
upset enemy governments and thereby
weaken their opponents.
In the United States some of us are
trying to upset our own government
at time when the war crisis demands
stability and continuance of the gov
eminent.
Most nations, in this crisis have
abolished elections. This was not nee
esary in the United State, nor would
it have been possible. But this COM
ing election ought to be a mere for
mality. The vote ought to mean in
so many words, you've done well,
Mr.. President. Carry on"