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

the treasury, at chicago, wednesday
evening, October Is:
The American people are being
asked to put in peril the peace and
prosperity the country is now enjoy
ing under President Wilson, by turn
ing their government over to the mex
perienced MI Hughes and the organ
lied band of incompatible and irrecon-
cilable elements which is supporting
him. Is it a risk the American people
can afford to take, and are the grounds
upon which they are asked to make
the change either definite or convinc-
ing? For two months Mr.. Hughes and
his supporters have been playing the
roll of carping critics, condemnlng
every act of the Democratic admins
tration in the most unfair and untruth-
full manner but the American people
are still without a definite answer
from Mr. Hughes and his supporters
as to what they will do with the gov
eminent if they get possession of it.
The only definite thing we have had
in the campaign comes from Col.
1OOS6p0lL. I1c odlu hL 1odIIAO SAOO
on October LIST, discussing the Lusi-
tania: You ask me what l would
have done-I would have seized every
interned German ship"
On March 9, 1916, the following mes
sage was flashed by wireless from Ber-
lin to Sayville, Long Island: Germany
declared war on Portugal at $3.50 p. NJ.
yesterday. The German declaration
says The Overseas News agency, EN-
phasizes the fact that this step was
made necessary by the recent illegal
seizures of German ships in Portu-
guese ports, which is the gravest sort
of breach of neutrality and of special
treaties.'"
Mr. Roosevelt's action would have
resulted in war between the United
States and Germany.
The United States has treaties with
Germany which would have been out
ragged if Mr. Roosevelt, as president,
had seized the ships which happened
to be in our harbors belonging not to
the German government, but to Ger
man citizens He would have disre
garded all international law, appro-
priated private property in violation
of express treaty obligations, and out
ragged the constitution of the United
States, which confcrs upon the con-
gress alone the war making power.
And now comes Mr.. Hughes and ad-
mits, as far as he is ever definite, his
accord with the bellicose attitude of
Mr. Roosevelt. This is shown by the
incident at Louisville, Kentucky, Oc-
tOber 18th, when he was asked the
point blank question what would you
have done when the Lusitania was
sunk?" Mr.. Hughes replied, in sub
stance, that he would have threatened
the kaiser so effectively that "the Lusi-
tania would never have been sunk"
This is characteristic evasion. Mr.
Hughes was not asked what he would
have done to prevent the sinking of
the Lusitania, but what he would have
done after the Lusitania had been
sunk. He has not answered that ques-
ton. | challenge him to answer it. He
is persistently criticising the way the
president handled the Lusitania mat
ter, and the American people cannot
judge the merit of his criticism unless
he tells them what he would have
done to meet that great crisis. This
matter is not material however, ex-
cept in so far as it compels definition
of Mr.. Hughes attitude.
Mr.. Hughes admits, and here is it's
value, that he would have forced a
rupture with Germany, without first
exhausting the channels of diplomacy
those channels established by civil
lied governments for the express pur-
pose of discussing and effecting peace
full settlements of international contro-
verSieS. That Mr.. Hughes is in accord
with Mr.. Roosevelt's violent and hec-
toring method of dealing with other
nations is the irresistible logic of Mr..
Hughes equivocations and Mr.. Roose-
velt'S declarations.
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Hughes have
performed at least this much of a
service-they have brought into sharp
relief two Numerically opposed poll
cies; President Wilson believes that
he should exhaust every honorable
means to settle international contro-
versies, through diplomacy, before go
ing to war, whereas Mr.. Roosevelt and
Mr.. Hughes seem to believe that they
should appeal to force, or make dis
play of force to settle international
controversies.
Both Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Hughes
have spoken with contempt of the
presidents truly great diplomatic vic
tories-victories which have been won
through the force of intellect and not
through the destruction of human life
They seem to resent peaceful and
honorable adjustments of internationa.
controversies; they appear to want
settlements of such controversies writ
ten in the blood of Americas young
manhood. 1t is we'll for the American
people to realize the grave peril to the
nation which will result from putting
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