The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-10-25
AMERICAN RIGHTS.

CANDIDATE HUGHES wired his congratulations to
~ Colonel Roosevelt Immediately following his Lewis
ton speech That for the purpose OF showing that
what the colonel said had hshe candidate s-heary
dorSement Colonel Roosevelt take IT, is still talking
with Mr. Hughes personal O X.
In his recent Louisville speech Colonel Roosevelt,
gave a vivid outline OF his course OF action had he
occupied President Wilson's shoes during the past two
of foreign complications I'VE have shown ouseve,
too stand up ior our rights or the rights OF
weaker peoples he declared with all the dramatic feel
ing of his surging soul III had done ought to
have done, neutrality would have been a badge OF
honor and not Of shame
OF course, can be alleged that Colonel Roosevelt
does no, represent hi, party in uerances of tins
1t be said that he is speaking for bu, himself
But assuming that he speaking Tor his party in the mat
ter OF standing up for rights let pause long enough
to look few weeStablished facts and refer to the
record
American rights affected by the action OF the bel
gercn European nations are neutral rights, nothing
more, nothing less. The have been invaded two
three conspicuous occasions first by the drowning OF
American subjects the time the Lusitania torpcdoed
and again when the Sussex shared the fate; when
mails intercepted; and likewise when the black
list was declared But instead OF rushing into war,
have sought vindlcate the through diplomatic
citizen that the central powers have assured there will
be submarine warfare neutras; that the en-
tene allies have met demands with respect to the
transmission OF mails and that the blacklist will be lifted
in time. So much for diplomacy
Now for the record to the surrender OF American
rights upon the sea
An attempt made in the last congress to abridgc
the rights OF Americans travel upon the The Gore
resolution providing for the suspension of this right was
pending in the senate and the McLcmore resolution of like
import in the house. President Wilson to Senator
Stone, chairman of the committee on foreign ai
fairs as follows:
rights Of American citizens in any respect The honor
and .s of the nation are involved We cove,
Of honor To forbid people exercise their rights
would be deep humiliation indeed
In the vote the Gore resolution in the senate twelve
republican senators voted for the surrender of these rights
and nineteen against But among the twelve were the
publican leader the senate Senator Ganger and three
other republican senators who are prominent enough IN
that party to be presidential asprans and whose
were before the late Chicago NATIONAL convention in that
rcspect-Senator Cummns of Iowa Senator Sherman Of
Illinois, and Senator LsEolIette Of Wisconsin
In the the McLemore resolution in the house
ninety three republicans voted against surrenderng Amcr
rights the sea and lO2 for A clear majority OF
house republicans disclosed that they were in favor Of
surrcnderng these rights as Colonel Roosevelt would
put it, too to stand up for them Republican
Leader Mann was among the too craven" crowd
But President Wilson and his party saved these rights
to the American people and the rights OF American
to travel upon the high respected by the
belgerent nations much as the rights of the sub
ecs of any other neutral nation So we see that our rights
still vouchsaied us spite of Colonel Rooseves dis
regard of facts and the record of his party in an at
tempt surrender them The badge OF shame of which
he speaks gliby be pinned upon either party to
which the record diScoses that it belongs