Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-20
WHO WANTS 70 FIGHT Us7

WHO WANTS 70 FIGHT US,
The democratic campaign. orators
say: President Wilson has kept US
out of war
With whom has he kept us out of
war?
Who wants to fight US?
In a recent speech ex-senator Bev-
eridge said:
Has the president kept us out OF
the European war? Did we want TO go
to war with any nation engaged in
that conflict? No. Aside from group
of passion-blinded and prejudice-in-
famed hot-heads, so few that in num-
Der they are negligible. the American
people have been and are solidly OPP
posed to engaging in the waf for or
against any of the European bellig-
erents.
Did any OF the warning nations
want to fight us? No. Every one Of
them already have more than enough
Of war on its hands. No president
could have possibly gotten us into war
except by an act Of madness unthink-
able in any one who could be chosen
as the chief magistrate of the United
States.
We could have prevented every out
rage that we have tamely suffered,
stopped every depreciation on our COM
merce, without getting into the war
We could even have retaliated for the
abuses which have been and now are
increasingly practised upon us, with
out the least danger, Of being drawn
into the conflict.
Did Grover Cleveland get us into
war with Great Britain when he defied
that power with an ultimatum which
meant hostilities If it was not heed
ed? No. And yet Great Britain was
not then already engaged in war that
taxed her strength to the uttermOst
as she now is.
Who KEEP: European neutral nations
out OF the war?
Who kept Sweden out Of the war?
Yet Sweden is so near to the flames
of the battle that they almost scorch
her. And what has been done to us
has been attempted with Sweden. But
although not 80 large as the average
American state and not so populous as
some, Sweden has protected her in.
terests and her honor by the firm word
of government that meant what 1t
said, backed by prepared people,
peaceful, but spirited, and not too
proud to fight. When Great Britain
seized Swedish mail, Sweden seized
British mail: after that retaliation
Swedish mail has not been violated.
Yet Sweden is at peace.
Who kept Holland cut of the war?
Yet you may hear in Amsterdam the
roar Of the guns.
VINO kept Switzerland out Of the
war? Yet its flames mount to the
heavens upon her very borders.
Who kept Spain out OF the war?
Who kept Norway nut Of the war?
And why, did all these countries
keep out Of the war?
Because none of them wanted to get
into the war and because while each
side wanted them to fight for it, Meth
er side wanted to fight against it.
And how did they keep out of the
war? BY practicing an honest neutral
ity and being prepared to maintain 1t.
And where do these little nations
who kept out Of the war with honor,
now stand in the esteem of the bellig-
erents in comparison with their opin-
ion of us? So high that while the pres.
ident Of Switzerland or king Of Spain
might be called to preside over the
peace conference 1t is certain that the
president of the United States will
have no voice or place in that historic
and fateful council.
Why is it that the whole world re-
spects. trusts and admires other ma
tions which. with more temptations
than we had to go into the war, new
ertheless kept out OF the war while
we alone are held in universal distrust,
derision and contempt?
And what of South American ma.
tons? They have kept out of war. Yet
nobody is running for president OF any
South American republic on the plea
that he kept the country out of war.
The campaign slogan that the "ad
ministration has kept us out of war
is no more argument in its favor than
to say that the administration ought
to be kept in power because the presi.
dent did not burn down the white
house.
SOME BAD FEATURES OF THE
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