The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-02-12
WILSON'S SPEECHES
AROUSE LITTLE ENTHUSIASM


The ultimate purpose which Presi
dent Wilson expects-or at any rate
hopes-to achieve by his speech-mak
ing tours is his own reelection. He
realizes that when he is once renomi'
mated the proprieties of the Presidency
will not permit him to go out on the
stump as a candidate for office. But
now, months before the national con-
~vention meets, he is bound by no such
restriction; and he is thought to have
been very glad to make use of the OPP
portunity to do a little campaigning
under the guise of presenting his new
found policy of national defense to the
people.
The value of his efforts to this end
cannot be estimated just now-but the
fact that he has awakened little that
Fan be called enthusiasm is regarded
as significant.
The immediate purpose which the
President had in mind before starting
out with his little bag of speeches
was to procure a reaction of pressure
upon the Democrats in Congress who
are opposing his program of prepared
ness. The President s prestige is at
stake in this matter. He has executed
a sudden flop, as Congressman Moore
calls it, on this question; but his party
associates in the House are not as MIN
BILE as he is, and they are still stand
ing where the President babe them
stand in his message of a year ago. in
this they are actuated by two beliefs.
They think that the Wilson of a year
ago is the real Wilson and that they
are doing him a real favor in saving
him from what they think is a mis-
guided political In addition
they think that they are representing
the sentiments of their constituents in
opposing a policy which they describe
in rather loose terms as "militarism. -
The Presidents idea is that if ne
can stir up the folks "back home, y
they will communicate their feelings
to their representatives and produce a
shift of position on the part of the
recalcitrant Democrats who are now
imperilling the Presidents program
from a party point of view. No change
of opinion of this sort has yet mani
tested itself among the rebellious
Democrats. Perhaps it is a little early
to look for it-but the fact remains
that the only activity thus far dis
played has been among Democratic pa
~cifists, who have been busy every min
ute perfecting their organization and
preparing to go to the mat with the
President in a strangle hold for su
premacy. The same night that Mr..
Wilson opened his speaking campaign
in New York, Mr.. Bailey, of Pennsyl-
vania, announced that more than
twenty Democratic Congressman had
signed a formal compact to stand to-
gether in opposition to the President s
military bills and that recruits were
coming in almost every hour.
This does not mean that there will
be no legislation for defense at this
session. On the contrary, such legisla-
ton is assured-by Republican votes.
The speech of Minority Leader Mann
made that clear.
Mr.. Wilson'S speeches have contain
ed frequent references of scorn for
those who would make the question of
national defense a partisan matter, yet
his whole intent in taking his trip has
been to secure Democratic support for
a plan which he, a Democratic Presi-
dent, has formulated and which he
would like to see adopted by Demo
cratic votes alone. 1t is a common re-
mark that if the President is sincere
~ DESTROYS of legislation for national
defense, he will abandon efforts to
compel Democratic support for it and
viii begin to cooperate in good faith
with the Republicans who are willing
and anxious to see the country put IN
a state of adequate preparedness.