The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-02-03
Pretty Paltry Excuse.

The president now says thai all his
information as to Mexican conditions
came from liars. TC my mind that is
pretty paltry excuse for his faltering
policy. But certainly they were not
liars who told him of the hundreds OF
Americans who were driven from ihcir
home sand murdered, whose wives ard
daughters were ou.,aGcl AID their lit
tie children tortdrrd. These things
are eternal and acvec .lc-hc-forgotlen
truth and time Will not wipe orr The
stain on the honor OF the nation that
such things could he.
have spoken of the Amcrican'sm
OF William Mckinley. for which the
Republican party stands today. ! have
said that we regard i as the funda-
mental right OF every American citl-
zen, a right which it is the duty OF the
government to enforce. that his prop
erty and industry and life DC properiy
protected, both at home and abroad.
Let me add this. that while it Is all
very we'll to lay down these principles.
we must not be content to take IL out
! in talk. We must be prepared to en-
force them. We stand not only for
industrial preparedness but for pre-
paredness upon which may depend not
only the material prosperity of the
nation but the security of the republic
and the honor of the flag.
1t was during the administration OF
Mckinley that America first became a
real world power. We did not, per-
Ihaps, seek the honor, but We emerged
from the Spanish war. willynilly, a ma
ton no longer isolated but in the front
rank of the congress Of the great
nations OF the world, nation clothed
not only with the power and influence
that such position brings, but with its
responsibilities and dangers as we'll.
We cannot shirk them if we would,
and | think no patriot would shirk
them il we could.
Lesson is Taught.
The Spanish war taught us lesson
which it were worse than folly to ig-
nore-the lesson Of being prepared.
When the war started we were not, as
a nation prepared for it. ! think no
one will deny that had we been at all
adequately prepared, the toll OF life
and treasure would have been infinite
ly less. Why should we have made
preparations then for war we did not
expect? Why should we make prep
aratiOns now for some war that we do
not expect? The only answer is that
what happened then, no matter how
improbable, may happen again. That
is sufficient answer, in my Judgment,
to those who would have this nation
seat itself supine, with It's hands in
its lap, saying. "Please don't attack
me; can't fight back"
But they say to us. who believe in
getting ready, "Who is going to attack
us? Name your nation" AS we'll ask
the captain of ship who supplies life
preservers for his passengers and
crew to name the particular storm he
fears. AS we'll ask the prudent house.
holder to name the particular fire
against which he insures. AS well ask
a chief OF police. when he places his
men, to name the particular thug that
menaccs the peace OF the community.
Where is the man who will arrogate
to himself the power to prophesy what
may come out OF the beldam let loose
throughout the civilized world? We
are not dealing with probabilities. We
are dealing with possibilities. The
Spanish war was not probable even q
month before it was in full blast, but
It was possible. Today war is not
probable, II you please, but who will
deny that 1t is possible, and that, with
one or more OF the most powerful of
the nations. 1t will cost money to get
ready, but eventually 1t will cost inf
nitely more II we are attacked when
we are unready. Because we have to
pay some advance money down shall
we refuse to insure now against a
casualty, presently improbable II you
please, but which II It does happen
may menace not only our honor as a
nation but our very existence even as
a republic?
Nnro than A onn narunnr hove an