The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-06-23
IMPORT PRESIDENT
PARAMOUNT ISSUE
,.uo,,atic Keynote Sounded by
~ T.muorary Chairman GIynn.
|Dccfups NEUTRALITY POLICY
"a. Defense Preparedness and
MIlltarism Bugaboo--ois-
go Domestic Policies and
Euloalzes Mr.. Wilson.

Euloglzes MT ""S0'
,.,,s Mo-. June l4-Bollowing
y condensed version Of the address
800. S Al the opening of the Demo
~ national convention today by
e saso Chairman Martin H.
., s~y former governor Of New York
r r., of the Convention: The
o",atic party, In this convention
siD s.hlod meets to perform a duty,
:, . Itself but to the nation.
y =. have entered this hall as Demo
,,,is. We shall deliberate and act here
nI.,aearding the divisions that make
:. man Tory and another a Whig'
nan a Republican and another a
c.noerat. Americans will cast aside
4. Unset Of party emblems.
s,om the great, pulsing heart OF the
.,lon wifi come a patriot command
: ,psb partisanship and rebuke what
~ Is mean or blind
,nd when, a century from now.
,-.tcas children come to read our
sl.,oy. we pray God that the history
,hOut IN make may prove an
nmIatlon to their loyalty.
4 the attainment of this hope, the
.,.,auee Of this prayer we who gather
- today have a responsibility that
~sor our emotions as 1t strengthens
w resolutions,
Par two years the world has been
A. That Gre still burns, but thus
4, ths United States has held the
hne at bay.
Must Support Principles.
what the people Of the United
ssles must determine through their
me,nge Is whether the principles that
nya been asserted az our national pol
y ,ball be Endorsed or withdrawn.
his Is the paramount Issue.
For 200 years neutrality was a the
~ America made II a fact. To win
y, priceless right Of neutrality this
ulIon bad to undergo a long and pain
d struggle.
Where Is the American hardy enough
3 challenge a policy so firmly fixed
3 he nations traditions?
The president Of the United States
lands today where stood the men who
made America and who saved Amer
IA and made American neutrality a
NATIONAL creed.
L Washington was right, If Jeffer.
pn vas right, II Hamilton was right,
L Lincoln was right, then the presi.
lent Of the United States Is right
niay, II the Republican leaders are
nghl then Lincoln was wrong and
jefferson was wrong and Hamilton
vas wrong and Washington was
UoHg
10 all the history Of the world
here is no other national policy that
hs justified itself so completely and
9liFely as the American policy OF
neutrality and isolation from the quar-
',s Of European powers.
Neutral Rights Asserted.
No American who knows the facts
an honestly oppose or criticise the
lqEey Of neutrality which the present
Democratic administration has pur
sued
Americas doctrine Of neutrality
lsig meant that this nation must
ud headlong into war at the first
Evasion Of It's neutral rights. This
icas not mean that America viii moi
ns0H TO war when all other means
q protecting its neutral rights have
aled, but Il does mean that America
Wy exhaust every peaceful means o.
protecting those rights before 1t takes
Dc step from which there Is no ap
gal
TIE issue, raised by our opponents
q the Vigor with which our neutral
y hes been enforced Is a compare
dN issue which can be decided onl!
y comparative results.
When Grant was president, durinl
ae war between Spain and the Span
y West Indies, a Spanish gunboa
WED the vessel Virginius flying TIT
American dag and a Spanish com
aanaant In cold blood shot the cap
1n Of the Virginius, 36 Of the crew
'na u OF the passengers.
pul We didn't go to war. Gran
'sllled our troubles by negotiation
when BENJAMIN Harrison wa
Naldent the people OF Chill con
.a'ed violent dislike to the Unitet
saleA One junior officer from tn
" United States Warship Baltimore wa
nlsd outright in the streets Of Val
.'aisO and ls Of our sailors wound
ass We didn't 60 to war. Harrison
aa our troubles by negotiation
More Historical Facts.
when Lincoln was president thi
-onlys rights were violated on e,
"a side England, Russia. Franc
s ,a spain we're guilty OF fagrant vic
~. ua We didn't 90 to war. Lincoll
ne, v1 our troubles by negotiation.
WIEN Pierce waa nraotdoot IN