The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-09-15

| attended the three conventions in
Chicago and st. Louis, also some
meetings of their platform commit
tees, was present at Mr.. Hughes cere--
mony of acceptance and have read
carefully the important documents
and speeches of the campaign. After
careful consideration, | have joined
the Wilson Independent League. |
thoroughly believe that the best in
terest of the country requires Mr.
Wilson's reelection.
My chief reasons for voting for
President Wilson follow:
/. The so-called issues of Amer
icanism," preparedness, the Lusitan-
ia incident, the Mexican situation,
and all others that have grown out of
foreign affairs, appear to me to be
merely "red rings across the trail
intended to put the public off the
scent. have little doubt that, by
diverting attention from themselves
to these trumped up issues, the Re-
publican cold guard" hope to put
over" on the public another payne
Aldrich" tariff. They expect to work
the war and Mexico for all they are
worth to both hide and guide their
own private interests after the cleo
ton.
2. Moreover, quite irrespective of
the moral issue in protection" it
seems to me bad national policy to
keep the tariff longer in politics. The
election of Mr.. Hughes would surely
do this. That of Mr.. Wilson would
at least go far toward dropping the
tariff out of politics and toward TAX
ing politics out of the tariff. 1t is
worth nothing that if such result
can be accomplished through a tariff
commission, it will certainly not be
through a tariff commission appoint
ed by protectionists.
8. | believe, at heart, Mr.. Wilson's
Mexican policy is sounder than that
which Mr.. Hughes seems to endorse.
Few of the American people realize,
as Mr.. Wilson realizes, that here, too,
is a case (and a far worse one than
American protection) Of special inter-
ests capturing government in their
own behalf.
4. So far as our relation to Euro
pean affairs is concerned, | do not
think that we shall become more eff
ficient by swapping horses while we
are crossing the stream. A change
many plunge us into war and it would
certainly, ins the four months between
election and Inauguration, paralyze
our foreign policy completely. From
November to March may be the most
critical months of the war. If Mr..
Hughes is elected neither we nor for
eign nations will know, during that
interim, exactly where we stand.
5. There is another great danger to
our national efficiency in voting ehe
Republican ticket. If Mr.. Hughes is
elected, the Senate will probably re-
main Democratic. Only Republi-
can land slide can make the Senate
Republican and of such land slide
there seems no prospect.
6. The Democratic platform is more
progressive and effective than the
Republican. The plank on woman
suffrage is more progressive than the
Republican. Mr.. Wilson is more care
full than Mr.. Hughes to avoid giving
the impression of making promises
beyond his party's platform, promises
which he cannot give any guarantees
of keeping. But he is, l have reason
to believe, at heart more of suf-
fragist than Mr.. Hughes, who seems
to accept woman suffrage as a sor,
of necessary evil; he would marry the
suffragette to get rid of her!
Z. think the Democrats have kept
faith with the people and deserve re-
election on their record. Taken as