West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-03-02

WASHINGTON. Feb. 27.-President
Wilson told members and guests at a
Gridiron club dinner last night that
America ought to keep out OF the Eu-
ropear war lat the sacrifice of every
thing except this single thing upon
which her character and her history
are founded-her sense of humanity
and justice"
The address was confidential. since
the speeches at the dinners OF the
Gridiron club. composed of newspaper
correspondents. are not reported. 1t
was made public tonight, however
with the consent of the President and
OF the club. because many of those
who heard It urged that it should go
to the country.
The President spoke of the nations
affairs with unusual gravity. His
hearers. including several hundred
members of Congress. government Off
cials, business men and correspon-
dents. were brought to their feet
cheering when he concluded.
The address follows:
II have very little to say tonight.
except to express my warm apprecia-
ton OF the invariable courtesy of this
club and of the reception you have 80
generously accorded me. / find that
am seldom tempted to say anything
nowadays unless somebody starts
rsoanething and tonight nobody has
started anything
Your talk. Mr. Toastmaster, has
been great deal about candidacy for
the Presidency. It is not a new feel
Ing on my part. but one which en-
tertain with a greater intensity than
formerly, that a man who seeks the
Presidency of the United States for
anything that It will bring to him is
an audacious fool. The responsible
ties Of the Office ought TO sober a man
even before he approaches it.
"one of the difficulties of the office
seldom appreciated. dare say, is that
II is very difficult TO think while SO
many people are talking, and particu-
larly while so many people are talk
ing in way that obscures council
and is entirely off the point.
The point in national affairs. gem
tlemen, never lies along the lines of
expediency. 1t always rests in the
field Of principle The United States
was not founded upon any principle
Of expediency; 1t was founded upon
p-ofoure principle of human liberty
and Of humanity. and whenever 1t
bases its policy upon any other foun-
dations than those it builds on the
sand and not upon solid rock.
81 seems to me that the most en-
tightening thing man can do is sug-
gested by something which the Vice
President said tonight. He complain
ed that he found men who, when their
attention was called to the signs of
spring, did not see the blue heaven.
did not see the movement OF the free
clouds, did not think Of the great
.nepaces of the quiet continent, but
thought only OF some immediate and
pfessing piece OF business II seems
70 me that il you do not think OF the
things that lie beyond and away from
and disconnected from this scene in
which we attempt to think and con-
clude, you will inevitably be led
astray.
Il would a great deal rather know
what they are talking about around
quiet fresides all over this country
than what they are talking about IN
the cloak rooms Of Congress. would
a great deal rather know what the
Ben on the trains and by the way
side and in the shops and on the farms
are thinking about and yearning for
than hear any OF the vociferous pro-
Carnations of policy which It is so
easy to hear and so easy to read by
picking up any scrap Of printed pa
per
HThere is only one way to hear
these things. and that is constantly to
90 back to the fountains Of Ameri-
can action Those fountains are not
70 be found In any recently discovered
sources.
senator Harding was saying Just
now that we ought try when we are
iO0,00o.00 strong TO act I'm the same
simplicity Of principle that our fore
fathers acted when we we're 5000.
600 strong. heard somebody say
do not know the exact statistics
that the present population Of the Uni
ted States ls 1O9.0OO.OOO n there are
100000 thinking the same things that
that original 100000 thought the
loo,ooO.oO9 viii be saved for an Illus.
trious future
They were ready 20 stake every
thing for an idea, and that idea was
rot ezpediecy but Justice And the
infinite difficulty Of public affairs. gen.
ilemen, IS not 60 discover the dqns of
the heavens and the direction Of the
wind, but 10 square the tblnes Won do
BY the not simple but complicated
standards Of Justice. Justice has moth
ing % do with expedlency. Justice
has nothing 10 do with anv ternporarv
standard whatever. Il IA rooted and
grounded IN the fundamental instincts
o. humanity.
America oueht to keep ont Of this
war. She ought to keen ON, ~ tbis
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