The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-08-04
cate mat position am confident that

cate That position am confident that
there would have been no destruction
OF American lives by the sinking OF
the Lusitania. Moreover, firm Amer.
lean policy would have been strongly
supported by our people, and the OPP
portunities of the development of bit
ter feeling would have been vastly re.
duced.
ut Is a great mistake to say that
resoluteness in protecting American
rights would have led to war. Rather,
in that course lay the best assurance
of peace. Weakness and indecision in
the maintenance of known rights are
always sources of grave danger. They
forfeit respect and invite serious
wrongs, which in turn create an un.
coDtrollable popular resentment. Thai
IS not the path of national security.
Not only have we host of resources
short OF war by which to enforce our
just deamnds, but we shall never
promote our peace by being stronger
in words than in deeds. We should
not have found il difficult to maintain
peace, but we should have maintained
peace with honor. During this critical
period the only danger of war has
lain in the weak course of the admin.
istration."
No Danger Of MiIltarism.
referring to preparedness, Mr..
Hughes said: "We are a peace loving
people, but we live in world of arms.
We have no thought of aggression,
and we desire to pursue our democratic
ideals without the wastes of strife. So
devoted are we to these ideals, SO in.
tent upon our normal development,
that / do not believe that there is the
slightest danger of militarism in this
country. Adequate preparedness is not
militarism. 1t is the essential assur-
ance of security; it is a necessary
safeguard of peace.
ut Is apparent that we are shock
ingly unprepared. There is no room
for controversy on this point since
the object lesson on the Mexican Dor.
der. All our available regular troops,
less, believe, than 100000, are there
or in Mexico, and as these have been
deemed insufficient the entire national
guard has been ordered out-that is,
we are summoning practically all our
movable military forces in order to
prevent bandit incursions In view of
the warnings Of the past three years
1t is inexcusable that we should find
ourselves in this plight
1--WE demand adequate national de-
Tense, adequate protection on both our
western and eastern coasts. We de.
mand thoroughness and efficiency in
both arms and services. It seems to
be plain that our regular army is too
small. ! believe, further that there
should be not only a reasonable in.
crease in the regular army, but that
the first citizen reserve subject to
call should be enlisted as federal
army and trained under federal au.
thority.
Democrats Caused Loss of Jobs.
Mr.. Hughes declared that the coun.
try was deeply interested in the or.
ganization of peace. New conditions
which it must meet would follow at
the end of the war.
1--WE are undisciplined, defective in
organization, loosely knit, Industrial
ly unprepared. Our opponents prom
ised to reduce the cost of living. This
they have failed to do, but they did
reduce the opportunities of making a
living. Let us not forget the conditions
that existed in this country under the
new tariff prior to the outbreak OF
the war. Production has decreased
business was languishing, new enter
prises were not undertaken; instead
of expansion there was curtailment
and our streets were filled with the
unemployed It was estimated that in
the city of New York over 100000
were out of work. Throughout the
country the jobless demanded relief.
at is plain that we must have pro
tective, upbuilding policies. 1t is idle
to look for relief to the Democratic
party, which as late as 1912 declared
in its platform that it was funda
mental principle of the Democratic
party that the federal government un
der the constitution, had no right OF
power to impose or collect tariff du
ties except or the purpose of revenue
We are told in its present platform
that there have been momentous
changes in the past two years, and
hence repudiating its former attitude
the Democratic party now declares fol
non-partisan tariff commission.
Stands for Protection.
"The Republican party stands fol
the principle of protection. We must
apply that principle fairly, without
abuses, in as scientific manner as
possible, and congress should be aid
, ed by the Investigations Of an expert
|. body. We stand for the safe guarding
!, of our economic independence, FOL
the development of American in
dustry, for the maintenance of Ameri
, can standards OF living. We propose
, that in the competitive struggle thai
is about to come the American work
s.~xoov ebon not cufforv