The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-02
COLONEL GIVES
POST MORTEM
ABOUT NOV. I

Magazine, out today, in an article en-
titled 1.-THE Election In holding
the HE kept us out of war" cry and
the wide prosperity of the Nation as
the decisive factors in the Democrat
ic victory, the Colonel does not charge
the citizenry with moral obtuseness,' -
but excuses the millions. who voted for
the President on the ground that they
were not shown ''1n convincing fash
ion" where their duty lay.
But that part most likely to arouse
in Republican leaders the liveliest
feelings is: when a public man
who had for three years praised each
of Mr.. Wilson's acts separately turned
round and during the campaign con-
demned them all collectively, he did
not carry conviction"
The Article
CAS- in all such cases. Col. Roose-
welt said in part, "the result is more
easy to explain than it had been to
foretell. The appeal made for .Mr.
Wilson was one which would tell very
strongly with good. honest citizens
whose preoccupation with their, own
pursuits was such that they could not
international relations and the gen
eral world conditions.
This appeal was in its essence that
we should vote for Mr.. Wilson be-
cause he had kept us out of war and
because we were prosperous. 1t
would have been highly creditable to
the average ban if he had possessed
the vision and disinterestedness to dis
regard such an appeal, but the fact
that he did not disregard it merely
means that we were not able to make
the issue clear to his eyes. 1t does
not mean that he would remain NOR
ally obtuse if he could be shown in
convincing fashion where his duty lay.
mo sensible man wishes to go to
war if he can honorably keep out of
it; and when to this natural inclina-
ton is added the fact that the man is
very busy and is puzzled by the issues
involved, he is certain to cast his vote
on the side that he is told will guar
antee peace.
Evidently people tend to look at
the dreadful crimes committed in Bel
GUM and Armenia, in the sinking Of
the Lusitania, and in Mexico, as ana
loguous to disasters such as an earth
quake or a fire; as properly exciting
discreet sympathy, but not as calling
for any action that would jeopardize
the comfort and we'll being Of those
not Immediately CONCERNED.
ct do not approve Of this attitude.
I am merely stating it. In SO far
it, they will steadily tend to the Chi
fnrrc
shock to wake them from it: Yet I
am sure it is possible to wake them,
and that when thoroughly aroused
showing the great qualities Of the
men and women Of the Revolution
and of the Civil War.
Whacks the Leaders
1--WE have permitted our politicians,
our candidates for public office, to
treat the promises made in party
platforms and on the stump with a
cynical Indifference which now re-
fleets itself in a similar Indifference
on the part of the voters. When pub
lie men are readily pardoned for
making any promises which they think
will secure public favor before cleo
ton and for repudiating any promise
which they think it inconvenient to
keep after election, it is impossible
to expect that the voters will not
finally grow sceptical about all prom
ises, prophecies and statements made
during the course Of a campaign. =
''In addition to these counter claims
there was the fact that the AdamsOn
bill unquestionably produced a great
effect in Mr.. Wilson's favor in all la
Dor circles. 1t was taken as an in
dication that in any conflict between
capital and labor Mr.. Wilson would
support labor, without an overnice
scrutiny Of the merits Of the case or
the future effects of his action.
Moreover, there was real blurr-
ing of the issues because for the first
three years Of Mr.. Wilson's term the
leaders among his nominal party OPP
ponents either feared to criticise him
at all, or else split, half of them as
sailing him because on some given
policy he had gone too far and the
other half because he had not gone
far. enough. - r.
when public man who had for
three years praised each Of Mr. Will
sons acts separately turned around
and during the campaign condemned
them all collectively he did not carry
conviction. Nor was it possible to ex-
ert the full opposition strength
against him when the leadership for
three years had been such that until
the campaign opened it was not pos
sible to foretell exactly what ground
the opposition would be asked to take.
I'VE who supported Mr.. Hughes
will always be glad that we supported
him. We believe that his triumph
and the national welfare were closely
interviewer. We now, for the sake
of the Nation, earnestly hope Mr..
Wilson will meet with every success
in the task ahead Of him"
E. W. Burt, former president of the
Massachusetts Retail Shoe Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, has
sent a telegram to every United States