Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-26
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

To the Editor Of the Evening Ledger:
Sir-Although a Republican and with no
desire to cast any reflections upon the sim
cerity OF Mr.. Hughes II appears to me that
his assertion as to what he would have
done had he been President before the sink
ing of the Lusitania must be taken with u
grain of salt. For l believe that, with the
vast majority of the American people, he
would not have taken the threat seriously
and. hence would have paid but little at
tention to IT, In fact do not believe there
is an American citizen today who can say
with any degree of certainty just what he
would have done in that emergency. either
before or after the sinking. unless 1t be
ex-President Roosevelt 1t is human nature
to think after n thing has happened what
might have been done to prevent IL. and
then to imagine that that is the thing we
would have done.
Such being the case, II seems fair to
neither President Wilson nor TO Mr.. Hughes
10 force the issue at this time.
That we, a nation, were not In po-
stion to use force against Germany we
well know, so what was there for either
President Wilson or any one else to do and
do 1t effectively than what he did? Is 1t not
probable that in furnishing the Allies with
the sinews OF war this country is doing
more to the detrment of the Central
Powers than we could possibly have done
in open hostility to them? Suppose we
had severed diplomatic relations that would
have given Germany a free hand in her
submarine warfare and what then might
have been the result?
Again, President Wilson is being fiercely
assailed ON the eight-hour proposition
without previous investigation, when the
great trouble with his Administration has
been, IL anything. too much investigation.
He sent John Lind TO Mexico and Colonel
House to Europe TO investigate, We well
know the disastrous results of the Lind In
vestigation In Mexico, but little do we
ohA hn Inv tRQ a On N
Europe. Then there is the tariff agita-
ton. The people at large Just now are
not worrying as TO the effects OF any tarit
after the close of the war. The war has
not ended yet and there are no indications
as to when II will end. and when IL does
end II will require several years to read
Just affairs upon a sound commercial basis.
so why waste time and energy upon these
things7
Equally useless is II for the Democratic
party TO try TO make people believe that
the prosperity In this country is not due
to the war In Europe, but Is the result of
the legislation and policies OF that party
for those persons who possess any degree OF
intelligence know better Then, too, they tell
| us that II is Wilson and the people on one
| side and Hughes and Wall street on the
| other invisible government and what moi
| to play upon the credulity OF the people
Why not be honest and let both sides say
| they want the Offices, and II elected Will dc
the Dest they can OF the pest they NhoW
| and then let the issue rest with the people
who after all, win be the final arbiters II
| the controversy? Quoting In part TIN
| words OF that noble character, James A
Garfield, when he placed In nomination
| John Sherman for the presidency mo
here In this brilliant circle is the destiny o.
the Republic to be decreed, but by four mil
| lion Republican fresides. Here by thought
| full fathers, with their wives and childreI
| about them. with the calm thoughts in
4 spired by the love OF home and the low
| OF country, with the history of the pas
| and the hopes OF the future. will the yer
| dict be prepared" And 80 II Is. Not II
/ the noise and tumult. or even In the en-
thusiasm OF the political meeting, but II
the quiet home win the verdict be rem
dered. E. H. W.
| Allentown, Pa. October "a