The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-06-02


soldiers is on Mexican soil solely to
protect the people and property Of
the United States from lawless ag-
gressions until the Mexican govern
ment can perform that duty which it
owes as a neighboring nation. And
those VINO criticize the Mexican policy
OF the administration must be pre-
pared to accept the alternative and
say that their choice is to make war
upon these people who have wllled
no act of aggression upon us, to In
wade their country, and to spend years
In the occupation of a foreign soil,
and, in toilsome effort, expensive of
life and treasure, to impress our
alien civilization upon these people.
Wilson and the War.
Upon the European situation shall
say but word. The course of the ad
mlnistration has been to regard itself
as, In the nature of the case, trus-
tee, for the time being, of the rights
Of neutrals. 1t has, in the language
OF Senator Root, refused to concede
that the invention of the new ways
Of committing foreign acts changed
the law with relation to them. And so
where mere property was involved,
every violation OF the rights OF neu-
trails has been followed by protest;
and where life was involved-the life
OF our citizens--a firm demand has
been made for immediate recognition
OF our plain and undisputed rights.
We are too near to attempt final
judgment. But if there be any as
surance Of Judgment possible for us
now, 1t is that when the history o.
tnis age comes to be written, the great
fortune of the American people and
Of the world will appear to have been
| that our destinies were in the hands
Of a man patient, wise and just, who
saw past all the minor annoyances
and through all the cross-currents oil
feeling, and who resisted every i'm
pulse toward impetuous Judgment
and thereby accomplished these great
things.
First, that he saved the lives ol
countless Americans who by any
other course would have been devoted
to death in battle; second, that he
preserved the civilization Of the TWEEN
tietn century against the last great
assault which would have been made
had our country too been swept into
the general catastrophe; third, thai
he vindicated and preserved unim
| paired the rights of neutrals and re
strained the zeal of belligerents from
sacrificing international law to tlt
supposed necessities of their military
plans; and fourth, that he saved III
| the moral energies of q great and fre'
people to place them at the disposa
OF mankind when they rested from
their work of destruction and begai
the reconsider the possibilities of ma
tional life.
He mas been the one sane and sc
rene spirit which will redeem thi
age; and when the election comes
will be found that the people o
America, whatever their sympathie
in the European struggle. realize tina
the one Indispensable exponent OF tn
mind, the friendliness and the ideal
of America in the re-making of In
old order in the Old World, is the fir
est type produced in this age by tn
new order in the New World-WooC
row Wilson.
State Issues.
must say brief word to you o
the subject of our state issues
Ohio. The adoption in 1912 of tw
score amendments to our constitutio
meant popular demand for redres
of old abuses. The adoption OF thes
amendments was In large part due
their advocacy by the Democratic ca
didate for governor. He fearlessI
espoused the cause of progress an
debated the amendments throughol
the state. AS consequence, the Der
Ocrauc platform upon which he wf
nominated, laid out q program Of pr
gressive legislation, wider and MOI
varied than had ever been adoptf
In any political convention In this stat
The newlyNelected governor took n
commission to Office as a commar
from the people. and the legislatul
which sat during his term made a re
ord under his leadership which place
Ohio In the advance column OF pr
gressive commonwealths. The Law
passed were too numerous to adm
. OF individual mention In the time
my disposal here.
The great task now to be done
, the state of Ohio Is to recognize tn
: under modern conditions old and sill
5 pie restraints of rule of thun
5 character are dangerous. and 1t is t.
) special mission of the Democrat
party to be entrusted with this recC
milton, for it is our party that believ
in the rule of the people. We belle
|. In home rule. By constitution
3 amendment the cities of Ohio ha
A been freed as to their form of &C
q ernment They must now be freed
to the substance OF government a
r the laws by which this Is accomplish
r. must be equal laws giving freedom
a 4