The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-20
PINCHOT TELLS WHY
HI WILL SUPPORT WILSON

v.
Amos Pinchot. one OF the leaders
~ the Progressive party. has written
Judge Sesbury. Democratic candidate
LOT Governor Of New York. the fol-
lowing letter:
| confess tina l was not particu-
laFIy surprised to read Colonel Roose
Feit advice to the Progress,ves to
vote against you and for Whitman.
The fact is the Colonel Is merely run
ming true to recent form.
gu stand squarely for the things
the progressive party has stood for
IN the past; on the whole. about Is
squarely as Whitman stands against
them. l do not think that ANYBODY
would question this. not even the
1o!ohel But for quite a good while
1t has been fairly clear to most Of us
mat Roosevelt, Perkins and the Steel
trust old Guard. group around them
have not been interested In the things
winch the Progressive party stood for.
IN tact. they have effectually thrown
All liberalism and Democracy over
board and are now playing pure. old
fashioned Republican policies. They
are, therefore. not in position to
support you.
Col, Roosevelt steered the Progress
siVe ship as long as the sailing was
| good. But when it got into rough
water ne promptly changed back to
1he republican craft And, inciden-
la4ly, ne dld not take much with him
| II Is true that the Colonel saws
that he is obliged to desert the stand
pat camp only account of the sud-
den appearance of greater princi-
! PIE, paramount issue to-wia: Amer
/ lcahlsm. The Union League Club.
| Mr. Root, Mr.. Taft Mr.. Bacon. Mr.
Il Perkins, Wall Street in general and
tho Steel Trust in particular are
unanimously for 'Americanism. They
are absolutely and uncompromising-
~ III favor of the United States. This
Is extremely rcassuring
To my mind, there is some incon-
sistency In waving the American flag
| with one hand and exploiting the
public with the other. l would have
d great deal more faith in our exclu-
lsiVe proprietary election brand
OF Amercanism II 1t had more sup
port outside the ranks of the machine
tpohtlclans and Industrial buccaneers
Men Ike yourself and Mr.. Wilson
on the one hand. and Hughes. Whit
man, Roosevelt and Perkins on the
other ehhody in their attitade-to-
ward society the larger conflict be-
"Vch democracy and absolutism that
Is going on in this country The Re
puolicans, as whole. stand for the
idea that the country should be gov
erned by small group of efficient,
powerful personages who will tell the
people what to think and what to do,
and make them do 1t. Men like Presi-
hent Wilson and yourself seem to mo
70 stand for the opposite idea-that
/ democracy after all, with all its mis-
takes and ineffieiency, Is the wiser
plan. because il allows people to think
for themselves and tea ~hes them to
severn themselves by governing
themselves.
The Republicans denounce Mr..
wilson for his attitude in regard to
Germany and the Europea1 war.
They say, no doubt sincerely, that
Mr. Wilson. through his leadership,
should have moulded public opinion.
into a more aggressive attitude ire
spective OF consequences; that we
nave been careless OF our honor, and
many or them go so far as to say
that We should actually be in the
war.
! This asham ed of my-countrv att
tude is wearing to the patience Of
/ thoughful American. In the first
slacc, 1t is utterly astonishing that.
Win the whole world involved in a
I death struggle. the United States
/ trying 20 steer an impartial course,
( which is naturally Objectionable to
every hellieerenD, should not have
/ been far moro seriously affronted by
! the wa maddened nations than she
actually has been. Nothing but n
very sitilfUl and patriotic handling of
the situation by Mr. Wilson could
have kept us out of most serious
mplications
AS a matter of fact, the United
states, except in the eyes OF A few
rather aggressive Americans and a
good many foreigners who have been
blinded by the fear and suffering Of
the war, is looked upon throughout
the world as having played a very
sane and honorable part
The war party in the United
States is also essentially rnoneyed
or leisure-class party. Instinct!vely
the privileged class urges a country
toward war, for. proverbially war
makes good places TO root for truffies.
Az far as | have seen. rich people
are practically alone in wanting the
United States to 20 around with
chip on its shoulder.
III Mr.. Roosevelt and his standpat-
ters thought of the average American
at all. they would see that he is
poor man. They would know that he
Is too busy supporting his wife and
children on a very small income to
realize that II Is his moral ii. e.. Re-
publicon) duty 10 leave his farm or
his workshop. put on a uniform and
take part In row that is going on
5000 miles or SO away.