The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-11-01

On Ine eve OF election day the Amer
lean people are entitled to a summary
of the things l have stood for in this
campaign, as they are the things /
shall stand for as president
No man can tell in advance what
unexpected demands the next four
years many present but one whose
conception of the presidents duty
rests upon fundamental principles
can describe with entire sincerity how
the problems of administration would
be approached and in what spirit they
would be solved.
man charged with the duty of
reaching desired goal knows that the
road to it is found in following that
path which sound judgment and clear
vision open up step by step. / can
show the road | expect to travel.
| propose first of all to start right.
The president is primarily an execu-
tive, 1t is his supreme duty to attend
to the business of the nation, to safe
guard its interests, to anticipate it's
needs, to enforce it's laws
The first act a president who takes
this view of his duties is to call about
him the ablest cabinet the country can
furnish, men who can deal with the
tremendous international and domes-
tic problems which viii confront us in
the next four years.
My conception of the presidency diff
fers absolutely from that of Mr.. Will
son. | look upon the president as the
administrative head of the govern
ment. He looks upon the president as
primarily the political leader and law
maker of the nation
In the two departments of govern
ment most closely touching our for
eign relationship department of state
and the department of the navy-he
chose men whom he knew to be wholly
unequal to their duties. Administra-
tive obligation was subordinated to
political eXigency | can assure the
country that any administration I'M
der Iny direction will stand upon sound
administrative ground with the ablest
cabinet the country can supply.
Across the road we are to travel
This next four years, even though we,
start right and move with prudence
and courage, serious hazards are
thrown like breaks in roadway made
by tor:ential rain. These all arise
out or the war torrent which has over
whelmed Europe. The first has to do
with our foreign relations. 1t is the
presidents duty to safeguard the in
terestS OF our own nation and to pre-
serve the friendship of every other
nation
No man is more determined than |
to maintain the peace which the
United States, Spain, Sweden Norway
and all the American republics now
enjoy. But | should seek to maintain
that peace by firm and courteous
insistence on the rights of our citi-
zens at home and abroad.
An American in Mexico is subject
to Mexican law, but he is an Ameri-
can still and is entitled to the pro-
lection Of his own government in his
lawful business. For one | shall new
er consent to policy which leaves
Americans helpless against. the law
Iessness of any country in which they
have a right to do business.
There cOnfrOnts labor in the next
4 years a condition more serious than
any that American Iaboring men have
been called upon to face When this
war began over million American
working men were seeking vainly for
When the war ends and
the developed energies of new Eu-
rope are thrown into commercial pro-
ductiOn, our nation will face a COM
petition such as it never knew.
One of two things must happen
either millions of men will be seek
ing work in vain or else there must
be thought out in advance the prob
lem Of commercial organization as
France and England and Germany are
seeking to think out the problem to-
day. Every one of these nations is
to defend it's own market
by protective tariff. The end of the
war will end also the opportunities
for labor created by the war The mil
lions in the trenches today will be our
industrial competitors tomorrow. If
we are to save our labOring men from
a catastrophe we must plan a tariff
protection along sound just and econ
omic lines. To this endeavor | pledge