The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1916-04-06

would nave gwen 10 Tue people ol
America that leadership to which they
were entitled In their earnest cropping
for the light. 1t would have ranged
behind American leadership the con.
science and morality Of the neutral
world.
1t was not to be. The American
government failed 10 rise to the de.
mands Of the great occasion. Gone
were the old love Of justice, the old
passion for liberty, the old sympathy
with the oppressed, the Old ideals Of
an America helping the world toward
a better future, and there remained In
the eyes Of mankind only solicitude for
trade and profit and prosperity.
Shrank From the Truth.
The American government could not
really have approved the treatment Of
Belgium, but under a mistaken policy
it shrank from speaking the truth.
Such policies as have described are
dOubly dangerous in their effect upon
foreign nations and in their effect at
home. 1t is Il matter of universal OK
perienCe that weak and apprehcnsive
treatment Of foreign affairs invites ell
GrOa"hmcnts upon rights and leads 10
situations In which It Is difficult to
prevent war, while a firm and frank
policy at the outset prevents difficult
situations from arising and tends most
- t,r,unr,-n r,noan tho
other hand, il government is to he
strong IN Its diplomacy its own peo.
pie must he ranged in its support by
leadership Of opinion In a national
cause worthy to awaken their patri-
otIsm and devotion.
We have not been following the path
of peace We have been blindly stun.
bling along the road that continued
will lead to inevitable war.
When our government failed to tell
the truth about Belgium it lost the
opportunity for leadership Of the moral
sense of the American people and It
lost the power which knowledge of
that leadership and sympathetic re.
sponSr from the moral sense Of the
world would have given TO our diploma
cy. When our government failed to
make any provision whatever for de,
Tending its rights in case they should
be trampled upon it lost the power
which n belief in its readiness and will
TO maintain It's rights would have Civ.
en- to its diplomatic representations.
When our government gave notice 10
Germany that 1t would destroy Amer
lean lives and American ships at its
peril our words, which would have
been potent If sustained by adequate
preparation to make them good and by
the prestige and authority of the moral
leadership of n great people in n great
cause, We're treated with a contempt
which should have been forcseen, and
when our government failed to make
those words good its diplomacy was
bankrupt.
Upon the record of performance
which | have tried to describe will the
American people say that the Demo
cratic party is entitled TO be continued
in power?
The defects of the present admins
tratiOn arise from two distinct causes.
The first Is the temperament and train.
ing of the president. The second is the
incapacity of the Democratic party rs
it Is represented in Washington both
In the legislative and in the executive
departments either to originate wise
policies or to follow them when pro.
posed by others or to administer them
effectively If they are established. The
Democrats In congress are never con
trollcd except with club. and gov
Crnmcnt with club is always spas
modic and defective.
We must not deceive ourselves by
assuming that the critical period aris.
ins from the great war has passed.
The real dangers anG the real tests Of
the strength OF our institutions lie be.
fore us. The most eXacting demands
upon the wisdom. the spirit and the
courage Of our country are still to BE-
made. In this great conflict all forms
of government are on trial, democracy
with the rest. The principles of na.
tional morality are Oh trial We must
play our part in the universal trial
whether we will or no, for upon the re.
suit depends directly the question
whether our republic can endure.
What Are People to Expect
But what are the people to expect if
the Republican party is restored to
power?
This much we can say now:
They may expect, with confidence,
that their government will meet the
economic situation with which We
must deal Immediately upon the close
Of the war, with policy of moderate
but adequate protection to American
industry.
They may expect that the govern.
mcnt will be administered with the
honesty and efficiency which have
marked Republican administrations in
the past.
They may expect that the best posi-.
BILE course for the preservation of
peace will he followed by n foreign pol,
icy which. with courtesy and friendli,
ness to all nations, is frank and fear.
less and honest In its assertion OF
American rights.
They may expect that their govern
ment Will stand for fulI and odenuate