New Britain herald., 1916-10-18
IMPLACABLE POLITICAL, FOES.
Some Pertinent Facts of Interest to
Anglo-E'rcnch Sympathizcrs.
(SDringfield Pppuhlicop\

among the presidents most implac-
able political foes. The anti-Wilson
om5inatiOn is like a bow whose OPP
posing ends almost meet under the
strain Of utilizing the force stored UP
in it for speeding the arrows flight.
One end Of the bow is the pro-Ger-
man vote; the other end Is the pro-
British vote. Nothing in this presi-
dental campaign VIII seem to his
torians more curious than the power
of common hatred to bring into har-
many Of action such utterly antagon-
istic elements. But the extreme pro-
| British antagonism to Mr.. Wilson,
a history that cannot be altered they
even more than the pro- German, may
| seem incomprehenSible to future gen
erations.
If the pro-British group in our
politics would search the probable
results of the coming election for
| practical reasons for their political
action, letting the past and its emo
tons fade into the haze and mist OF
would not fail to be Impressed with
the dangers, from their own point of
view, of a change in administration
at this time. Mr.. Wilson's policy
has not been one to which any fair
minded Englishman could take seri-
| Gus objection. The enormous NUM-
lions traffic, whose worry existence has
been due to the president by virtue
OF his control over congress, has been
Of incalculable assistance to Great
| Britain and her allies The market
| ing of the entente loans here would
not have ben easy had it encountered
Mr.. Wilson'S opposition. 1t was due
to Mr.. Wilson that the United States
did not. at the 6ctotiO of CONGRESS-
abandon the rule of International law
that enemy merchantmen may carry
limited defensive armament. 1t
was due to Mr.. Wilson that the un-
restricted warfare Of Germany on
| merchant shipping was suspended
| and remains suspended today. Great
Britain has profted by these policies
and acts Of Mr.. Wilson, although it
were false to say that he was inspired
in his official conduct by a purpose to
help Britain against her enemies.
While no one could profess to be
| prophet, certain proba bilities bearing
on the future attitude of the political
parties in America in relation to the
great war may be frankly pointed
out. In case of Mr. Wilson'S defeat
! our pro-entente friends should ex-
! pect to see virtually the whole demo-
cratic party become strongly anti
British In sentiment Thus far the
| democratic party has been compa~-
atively easy for its leader to control
because it has borne the heavy re-
| sponsibilities Of government Tradi-
| tional democratic prejudices natural
democratic emotions, the racial pas
sions of large sections of it's rank and
file have been under restraint because
| democratic hoe
| power. Remove such a control and
such restraint and there will be a
| different story to tell.
The strongest anti-British feeling
| III America is naturally on the dem
| ocra11c side OF the party alignment
Jefferson the democratic Dartv's
| founder wrote the Declaration of In
| dependence. 1t was the Jeffersonian
! democracy that sympathized with the
French Revolution as against tory
| England. 1T was the democratic par
| ty that made war on Britain in 1872
! IA. Jacksonian democracy in the
| middle period of the 10th century was
| anti British to the core. The old
| democratic anti-British bias appeared
| IN the popular reception to President
| Cleveland's Venezuela message 1t
! needs to be remembered, too, that the
|
j have always affiliated with the demo-
cratic party and that their sympathy
| for Great Britain in the present war,
| such as 1T was, came under a terrific
strain by reason of the merciless sup
preston Of the Irish uprising in Dub
! lin last spring.
| 1t is futile to deny that within the
past year the popular reasons for
| American sympathy with Great Brit
ain have been slowly weakening.
| Aside from the situation in ireland,
| America has been more or less af-
| feCted by a perccptible British
| rogancc in making new sea law to
| suit the immediate interests of Great
| Britain. Our material interests have
| not been much if any, sacrificed; and
| President Wilson thus far has been
| wise not to push our claims to OK
| tremeS, for can never face
| clash with Britain in the present war
| without carefully considering what
| her ally. Japan, would do to us in
| the Pacific. But the old tory infiu-
| ence has virtually overcome the lib
eral democratic influence in the pres
cnt coalition government of Great
| Britain, and American democracy has
| never been friendly at heart to tory
! England.
With President Wilson defeated
and the democratic party deprived, as
1T would, be Of his powerful restrain
ing and stabilizing influence as an I'M
disputed leader, it is virtually Ger
tainty that the democratic party
would become rich field for such
anti-IritiSh agitators as Hearst. 1T
would be the prey of the Champ
! CIarkS in the West and the HOke
Smith and ColQuitts in the South. 1t
| would become the storm center of
| anti British feeling and Mr.. Hughes
| prO-German supporters might desert
him overnight for the sake OF maxi
ing the democratic party q powerful
opposition to an administration try
ing to maintain peace with Britain,