The Washington herald., 1916-04-14
Presidents Candidacy for Re
election Launched at Com
mon Counsel Club Banquet.
500 DEMOCRATS DINE
Party Leader Given Entire
Credit for Achievements
of Administration.
SPEAKERS IGNORE MEXICO
Republican Party Called the Tool of
the "Hand-Picked' Few-Wil-
son Delivers Address. ,.

With nearly so enthusiastic Democrats
gathered under a flag-draped ceiling in
the big banquet hall of the New Willard,
the candidacy of Woodrow Wilson, Presi-
dent Of the United States. to succeed
himself, was impressively arranged last
night by the Common Counsel Club.
Though arranged as a Jefferson Day
dinner. the affair was peculiarly and ex-
clusiyely a Woodrow Wilson dinner. The
men who have taken leading parts in
perpetuating through legislative enact
ments the policies of the present ad-
ministration gathered around the festive
board to disclaim any credit for their
work. and to yield to the party leader
all credit for these accomplishments.
No Talk of Mexico
And with Mexico a seethlng vortex Of
anti-Americanism, with the news fresh
from the border that the troops of the
de facto government had fired upon and
probably murdered a number of their
supposed allies-the United States troops
at Parral-discussion of the Mexican
policy was conspicuous chiefly through
Its absence.
Mr.. Wilson's was peculiarly partisan
political speech. The Republican party
was held up for consideration as the
party Of trusteeship by a "hand-picked"
few; the>Democratic rule was described
as the administration for the many. That
Theodore Roosevelt was prominently
placed la the thoughts Of the present ad-
ninistration was evidenced In two ways:
By the religious ignoring of the Mexican
problem with its new acuteness, and by
NE applause which greeted the declara-
ion:
This country has not the time; it has
% the ambitious"
President Wilson said in part:
There are only two theories of gov
prnment, my feIlOw-citizens- The one is
that power should be centered in the con-
troll OF trustees who should determine the
administration of all economic aRd po-
liticaI affairs. That is the theory OF the
Republican party. A carefully hand
picked body of trustees. The other theory
is government by responsible and respon-
sive servants of the great body OF citi-
zens. able to understand the common in
terests, because in direct and sympathetic
touch with the common desire and the
common need. The peculiarity OF those
who think in the terms of trusteeship Is
that their thinking always squares with
the pref&ences Of the powerful and never
squares with the lessons of history.
Il was talking one day with a gentle
man who was expounding to me the very
familiar idea that somebody-I dare say
he would prefer to name the persons
should act as guardians and trustees for
the people OF the neIghboring republic
Of Mexico. I said. I defy you to show
a single example in history in which lib
erty and prosperity were ever handed
down from above. Prosperity for the
great masses OF mankind has never
sprung out OF the soil Of privilege. Pros
perity for the great masses of mankind
has never been created by the benefcence
OF privilege. Prosperity and right, pros
perity and liberty have never come by
favor: they have always come by right
lone of the things that It has been
Just as interesting to prove as anything
else that we have proved in the last three
years, is that we are not partisan as
against any legitimate business interest,
no matter how great; that We are not
sighting anybody that is doing legitI-
CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE