Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-06-27

was oA supporting MI. dUghSS anu
they supported him accordingly. with
out any regard TO other considerations.
! need hardly repeat what ! have al
ready said in stern reprobation of this
professional German-American ele-
ment-the element typifed by the
German American Alliances and the
similar bodies. which have, in the pre-
nomination campaign, played not
merely an un-American but a thor
oghly anti American part. These men
have nothing in common with th>
great body of Americans who are in
whole or in part of German blood;
and who are precisely as good Aueri
cans as those of any other ancestry.
There are Tot, ard never have been, n
all our land, better citizens than the
q eat mass OF the men and women Of
German birth or descent who have
been or are being completely merged
ir our common American nationality
a nationality distinct from any IN
Europe. for Americans who are good
Americans are no more German
Americans than they are English
Americans, or Irish Americans. or
Sea adinavlan Americans They arc
Americans and nothing else. No good
American. whatever his ancestry or
creed, can have any feeling except
scorn and detestation for those pre-
fessional Germa Americans who see!:
10 make the American President in e.-
feet viceroy Of the German Emperor
The professional German Americans of
this type are acting purely in the sin
lister interest Of Germany They have
shown their eager readiness to sacri-
fee the interest Of the United States
whenever its interest conficted with
! that Of Germany. They represent that
adherence 70 the politico-racial hyphen
which is the badge and sign of moral
treason 10 the Republic. I have
singled these men out for specific de-
runciation, and assuredly if support
q candidate il may be accepted as
proof that am certain that the canii-
date IS inca pable of being Influenced
by the evil intrigues of these hyphen-
ated Americans.
M Hughes character and his whole
course Of conduct in public affairs
justify US in the assured conviction
that the fact that these men have for
their own purposes supported him will,
in no shape or way. affects his public
actions before OF after election. His
entire public life is a guarantee Of this.
The events of the last three and a
half years have shown that as much
cannot be said for Mir. Wilson. In Mr.
Wilson'S case We do not have TO con-
slider his words. but his deeds His
deeds absolutely contradict his words;
and for the matter of that his words
absolutely contradict one another II
is folly TO pay heed TO any Of the
promises in the platform on which he
now stands in View Of the fact that al
most every important promise CON
tanned in the platform on which he
stood four years ago has since been
i! broken. We owe ali of our present
trouble with the professional German
American element in the United States
to Mr.. Wilson's tinnid and vaciliating
course during the last two years. The
defenders of Mr.. Wilson have alleged
! in excuse for him that ne confronted 2
difficult situation. As regards Next
! co, the situation which Mr.. Wilson
! confronted was nothing like a difficult
as that which President Mckinley con-
fronted in connection with Cuba and
| the Philippines at the time Of the
Spanish War. Under the actual cir
cumstances we could with only 4
minimum of risk have protested on be
half Of Belgium. a small, we'll -hehavel
nation. when she was exposed to the
last extremity Of outrage by the brutal
violation Of her neutral rights, this
violation being Itself 4 violation of The
! Hague conventions TO which we were A
slsnatory power. AS regards the for
elgn situation generally during the
great war. the fact OF the existence 81
/ the war made il far easier and safer
for Mr.. Wilson to assert our rights
i than if he had had to deal with some
| single strong power which was at the
time unhampered b. war During the
past twenty years questions have aris-
( en- with Powers Of the first rank. such
/ as England. Japan and Germany. each
OF which has necessitated far greater
courage. resolution and Judgment on
the part of the President dealing with
/ it than President Wilson need have
shown in order to put a complete stop
/ 70 the continually repeated murder of
american men. women and children on
/ tie high seas by German submarines
The LuSItan.a being merely the worst
of many such cases. The same feeble
ness that was shown by President VIII
son in dealing With Germany abroad
/ was also shown by hum in dealing with
the organized German outrages within
our own land. and. finally, in dealing
with the organized German-American
vote. The continued existence of the
/ German American menace at home IS
directly due TO Mr.. Wilson's course OF
action during the past TWO years.
! Certain CT my friends who feel tina
the Progressives should run third
ticket base their feeling on objection
! TO the character or actions of the Re
publican National Convention. AS re-
CARDS this point, il is SUFFICIENT to say
that the members of the Republican
National Convention were unQuestion-
ably induced to nominate Mr.. Hughes
primarily because Of the belief that his
/ integrity and force OF character. and
his long record of admira bic public
service. would make him peculiarly
acceptable. not only to the rank and
! file of the Republican Party. but 10 the
people generally do not believe that
MIR. Hughes would have been nominal :
! ed if it had not been for the fight on
behalf of public decency and efficiency
which the Progressive Party has