The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-10-30
W IIsSs!y WSs9sssl'
WEAK AND WABBLING WILSON
POLICIES DRIVE US To-
WARD WAR

WAHD WAX
or all the silly campaign cries ever
originated by a party leadership des-
perate for votes the claim that will
son kept us out Of war" is the most
puerile
First, Of all Il Is not true. We have
been at war with Mexico with incident
loss of life, and are in the shadow Of
war with that republic now, not, un-
fortunately, for a purpose which justi-
fies war, but as the result Of our med
ding and muddling in Mexican af-
fairs. We attached and captured the
chief seaport of Mexico, not to vindi-
cate American rights or defend Ameri-
can lives, but over a matter of salut-
ing the American flag, ostensibly, but
really to help villa and Carranza over
throw Huerta. We are out of war now
because we attacked a country unable
to strike back We kicked a cripple,
and boast of Mr.. Wilson discretion in
not hitting a man size nation. AS an
appeal to cowardice this argument"
ought to be effective. AS an appeal
to the moral sense of those who oppose
war, it is essentially hypocritical.
So far as Europe is concerned, no
one in this country has wanted war
with any European country, and no
European country has wanted war
with us. War would not have been
precipitated ythe assertion Of just
American rights. We have never fail
to assert these heretofore, and there
never has been a time when We were
in position to speak in behalf of these
rights with greater anxiety on the
part of those addressed to meet our
wishes. and avoid trouble with us.
But who is in position to say that
the Wilson policies will keep us out
OF war? There are many thoughtful
observers who believe that not only
will a weak and vacillating course by
the American government fail to keep
us out of war, but that it is actually
driving us toward war. The declara-
ton by this country that a foreigner
has no right i'm Mexico which the MeXi-
cans are bound to respect means either
the surrender of the Monroe doctrine,
or war with some European or Asiatic
power, after the European war is over.
The announced withdrawal of the pro-
lection of the American government
ment from American citizens travelling
or residing abroad, creates possibili-
ties of trouble with foreign nations far
beyond any hitherto thought of. By.
our policies we are inviting insult and
affront, invasion of our rights and
ultimate war.
There are two ways to get into war.
One is by carrying a chip on the shout
der. The other is by carrying a Kick
Me" sign on your back. The bully and
the mollycoddle are the two types that
get into trouble everywhere. The Re-
publican party believes America
should be neither. 1t does not believe
that trouble can be avoided by con-
tinually running away from it, and
making a virtue of cowardice.
The Wilson policies keep us out of
war? They will put us into war, be-
yond shadow of doubt, if they are
long continued. We have already won
the contempt of other nations, who,
thinking us too proud to fight" will
therefore be the more ready to attack
us. We have won a reputation for be-
ing ready to surrender any right in or
der to avoid trouble. This is a stand |
ing invitation to aggression upon US.
We will be compelled to fight when
such suggestion is undertaken, not be-
cause we want to, but because we can