The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-03-04
AMERICA AND THE WAR.
Only Justice and Humanity Should
Drive Us Into the Conflict.

President Woodrow Wilson made /,
very notable speech to several hun
dred members and guests @ef. the cele
brated Grldiron Club at dinner
given by that organization at Wash
!. lngton last Saturday night, which has
/ been released for publication in con
tragentloa Of the usual rule appliea.
bic to utterances at Gridiron Club
functions. The great Importance OF
/ the presidents views in the present
i critical ]uncture of national and in.
4 ternational affairs led to the request
that ne and the club consent to the
making of the speech public in order
! that it might sgo to the country
i 1t is stated that the president spoke
with unusual gravity, and that his
earnest and eloquent concluding
1 words brought his hearers to their
feet with enthusiastic cheering. The
address follows
have very Little to say tonight
except to express my warm apprecia-
/ ton Of the lnvariable courtesy of
this club and of the reception you
have SO generously accorded me. I
lind tnat am seldom tempted to say
! anythlng nowadays, unless somebody
starts something. and tonight no
| body HIS started anvfhina, -
Your talk. Mr.. Toastraa ~ has
been a great deal ahagt cand;dacu for
| the presidency. II ;s not new faalz
ing on NV part. hut one which on
tertain with y greater intensity than
formerly. that q man WIN saaks +Ia
presidency Of The United States for
inviting that it viii bring fo him Is
an a,1dacio11s fool The rasnons;h;I-
lities Of the office auoht FL sober j
man even before be annroaelas 4
One of the difficulties If tba offf;ca-
seldom appreciated. / dare saw IS that
it is very difficult to think while SO
many people are talking. and particu-
Iarly while so many people are talk
ing in a way that obscures counsel
and IS entirely off the point.
Senator Harding was saying just
now thas we ought TO try when we
are q handred mlilion strong TO act IN
Tue same sam slInpllclty y OF pflnelpie tnat
oui ioleiae a,esl eliefs :, : aetea ~ Wnen we
W. IN l1liiloI seloilg.. 7, isara
so.nspoy sa aas s.I ~ nv hlioW elle ~
~ 49, ~ af sAtl a. IIs;+sl ~ s. saie popu
a.,.a,.I - o.,s
80 +,raa ra;li;a, l, .1 4t,a s.s
- 49, - ss.lae
ta,.alt H. H.
yed for ;l1,,sar;a,,s ,I - ~
spara 80 s,s,a 4
5 :. : 49,. ~
M. -, ~,
l,iIs.s IA asa Ilal-
~ ss
:
,s,;,,d I,,+ IA -, IA III
IL H. mi 49,.
sfa,,dar,ls of i,,st;ee I,,sf;ca z.ss
,atli,, =, :
- IS ! -
sss..s.'s - - e, e...
8. - 1aie uiie. eeille 70
= = ii.ii'sai.isy
1aiitgIlea 81 jug ~ - Keep oue y el.s
war. one ongna 70 keep out OF TINS
war war az tne sacfaIlce o1 everything ex-
cept this single thing, upon which herj
character and history are founded
her sense of humanity and justice. If |
she sacrifices that, she has ceased to
be America; she has ceased to enter
tain and to love the traditions which
have made us proud to be Americans,
and when we go about seeking safety
at the expense of humanity. then /.
for one. will believe that I have al
WAYS been mistaken in what L have
conceived to be the spirit of Ameri-
can history.
ssYou never can tell YOUR direction
except by long measurements. You
cannot establish line by two posts;
YOU have got to have three at least
to know whether they are straight
with anything. and the longer the lineI
he more certain your measurement.
There is only one way in which to de-
termine how the future of the United
States is going to be projected, and
that is by looking back and seeing
which way the lines ran which led up
to the present moment Of power and |
IF opportunity There is no doubt
about that. There is no question what
he roll of honor in America is. The
roll of honor consists of the names
# men who have squared their con-
duct by ideals OF duty. There IS no
one else upon the roster; there IS no
one else whose name we care 10 re-
IN national scale. AND ! wish tnat