The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-10-23

BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington, Oct. l9.-[Special lin
spite Of all that has been done for pre-
~paredness the American people do not
TAKE seriously the Idea that the United
States may become involved in war.
Elihu Root said IN a recent speech that
there has been war during the admin
iStratiOn of but two presidents during
the past s~eyenty-hve years-Abraham
Lincoln and William Mckinley. He
might have gone further and said that
neither Of these presidents got us into
war, but each did all he could TO pre-
vent war. I'VE have forced every war
we ever fought" was a remark in the
house by Speaker Clark. There is no
doubt hat If Lincoln could ave avoid
ed the civil war he would have done
so. The hotheads in America forced
that war. The Spanish war was not
only forced, but worked up with stage
mechanics and particularly against the
opposition OF Mckinley.
The People Make War.
The people make war, not presidents.
The president and all those who sur
round him are bent upon preventing
war; they use every effort to prevent
war. Every president is against war.
And as the majority of people view
the subject now they see no necessity
OF war; they do not believe they are
ever going to bring on war. and conse-
quently they do not believe that all
this preparedness will be used for hos
tile purposes.
or course there are a great many
people who are much pleased that we
have gone quite a few steps toward
increasing the army and navy, but the
majority do not believe these forces
are going TO be called into active hos
tilities during their time.
Useless Words.
A justice OF the supreme court I'm
taking the oath of office says among
other things that he will administer
exact justice between rich and poor"
Those rich and poor words are use
less. No poor man could ever get a
case before the supreme court: he
couldn't afford ii. Ii takes money to
carry a case TO the highest court
Those words might have been all right
for the early days OF the republic. but
in these days of big fees for attorneys
the poor man canno get near the high
er courts.
Farmers Are In Politics.
Many years ago there was organized
In the legislature of Dakota territory
a farmers alliance. 1t was a husky
sort Of an organization and controlled
legislation. Out of it grew the great
political organization Of the same
name and later the Populist party.
In North Dakota at the present time
there is a farmers organization which
may have a great influence in shaping
the politics of the state-decide wheth-
er the FIVE electoral votes will he cast
for Hughes or Wilson and also wheth-
er McCumber shall succeed himself as
senator. This farmers organization
claims to be nonpartisan, but no such
organization can keep out of politics.
Until it decides what il will do North
Dakota will remain in the doubtful
column.
Foolish Talk.
Whenever among Democrats one
hears such talk as this one knows that
1t is foolish, I'VE have two men work
Ing for us who are doing us lots Of
good-Hughes and Roosevelt" Now. 1t
would be just as foolish for Republi-
| cans to say that Wilson's speeches and
trips are doing good for the Repub-
licans. The fact is that every speech
Wilson makes and every trip he takes
helps the Democratic party. The same
can be said about Hughes and Roose
welt. Any one who thinks that Roose-
welt is not helping the Republican
cause makes q great mistake. For in
stance. wouldn't the Democrats like to
have him switch to the other side?
A North Carolina View.
A MAI from North Carolina who has
travelled about the country a great
deal came to Washington and said
Hughes was going to win. Incidental
ly he declared that Hughes was a bet
ter Democrat than Wilson. Evidently
he is one Of those southern Demo
Gratis who believe that the president
has departed far from Jeffersonianism
and embraced what many of them
call Populism. Such ideas were ex-
pressed by Democrats In congress and
In private conversation quite frequent
ly during the last session.