The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-09-14
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
/ AM FOR HUGHES, SAYS .
CLIFFORD PINCHOT
Ex-U. S. Forestry Chief and
Progressive, Says President
False to His Vows.
Mr.. B. H. SINCELL,

American citizen to make and support
openly his choice among the candidates
for the Presidency. That duty is
especially solemn this year because
great events and great decisions are
certain to confront US during the next
Administration. | am writing to give
you my reasons for my own choice If
you care to lay them before your
readers, please do so.
am neither a Democrat nor Re-
publican, but Progressive. Yet, there
being no Progressive nominee, unless l
choose to support candidate who can
not be elected, must vote for either
Wilson or Hughes.
For many months after his Inaugural
ton, l thought well of President
Wilson. In many respects liked what
he said about what he was going to do.
He talked well and made good impress
sion. 1t was only when l began to
check up what he said by what he did
that l was forced to change my view.
In the end came to see that Presl-
dent Wilson has greater power than
any other man in public life to say one
thing but do another, and get away
with it.
The facts which justify this state
ment are common knowledge.
We have all heard him tell Germany
publicly that she would be held to strict
accountability; and have learned after
ward that he had actually let her know
secretly at the time, by the mouth of
his Secretary of State through the
Austrian Ambassador, that what he
said he did not mean. We have all
seen him prove that he did not mean it
by his total failure to exact repara-
ton, apology, or even disavowal for
the murder of Americans on the
Lusitania.
do not say that Wilson should have
thrust US into war. There was no need
of war. But there was need of courage
to give US peace with self-respect. If
would not have skidded from one crisis
to the next, again and again narrowly
escaping disaster.
We have all heard him declare against
intervention in Mexico, while actually
intervening to dictate who should and
who should not hold Office there; and
denounce war against Mexico while
actually engaged in war.
With war on every side of US, we all
heard him, in his second annual message,
solemnly assure the country that we
had not been negligent of National de-
tense. 1t was not true; and later on he
himself proved that it was not true by
proclaiming aloud the need of what he
had solemnly assured US we already had.
For more than a year after the
world-war began, Wilson did not raise
finger to put US in a condition of de-
tense. Only the proYerbial good luck
of America has kept US from paying
the bitterest price for his unforgivable
neglect.
We have all heard him ridicule the
idea of greater navy, then declare for
incomparably greatest navy in the
world, and then go back on that.
We have all heard him declare for ex-
empting our coast-wise trade from tolls
in the Panama Canal; and have seen
him show our own people and the Eng
fish that he did not mean it.
We have seen him elected on a plat
form which pledged him to single
term as President, and then become a
candidate for another term.
We have all heard him declare for the
Conservation of our natural resources;
and have seen him neglect that policy,
and refuse his help to defeat the Shields
waterpower bill, the most dangerous
attack on Conservation since Ballinger's
effort to turn Alaska over to the Gug-
genheims.
We have all heard him declare for
efficiency in Government, and have
seen him set the pork barrel first and
throw efficiency away. | have known
official Washington from the inside for
six Administrations. In that time the
Government has never been so badly
done and so extravagently as it is now
done under Wilson.
We have all heard him announce him
self as the champion of Civil service re-
form; and haye seen him turn the Gov
eminent Departments over to the spoil
men as no other President has done in
twenty years.
We have all heard him declare for
pitiless publicity; and have seen him
conduct the most secret administration
of our time.
We have all heard him announce him
self as President of all the people, and
have seen him, as the most partisan
President of his generation, fout and
oppose the Progressives, whom now,
because he needs them, he seeks to
conciliate and enlist.
Worst of AI.z. VyIa. ora.,