New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-30

after the safety Of Americans in Ireland;
when Germany starts her submarine cam
paign Congress does not ask of the safety
Of Americans on the high seas. Later, as we
shall see, it insults them. Our government
protests against outrages in Armenia; it does
not protest against outrages in Belgium.
Group-alienism should not take all the
blame for the crude state Of our opinion.
Schoolboy prejudces against Great Britain,
the product Of primer histories, have exacted
bitter toll. President Wilson must also
take part of the blame. Lately he has given
us many noble words but he has not been
able to overcome the effect Of his unhappy
neutrality speech and of his speeches early
in the war, when he declared that the quarrel
was none of ours, that Europe was wrong
and we were right, that she had lost her head
while we had kept ours. and so encouraged
and reinforced some of the most callous and
provincial Of our opinions.
But an organized, catabolic group-alienism
has been the main factor in producing our
present condition. 1t has played on each
atom of the weakness which in some degree
is in all of us, of inertia, love Of gain, quies-
cence if not cowardce, while no organized
force was playing on our better powerful in
stncts of love of justice, of honor, OF lib
erty, and the flaming ideals which have been
our guide.
This organized group-alienism has nowhere
had more lamentable or unmistskable effect
than in Congress. Our Congressional debate
has been filled with base insults on Ameri-
cans travelling the on errands of bust
ness, honor and mercy to the stricken OF
Europe. They have been called reckless,
wicked" "unpatriotic," "thoughtless," "cor-
rupt" contemplate" unworthy Of the name
Of Americans" or of our protection, thrill
loving" "madcap,' irresponsible adventur-
ers," "blases," fortune seeking They have
been charged with "stupendous folly" bra
vado," "braggadoco" and "egotism." Pro-
fessor Royce's magnificent speech in fremont
Temple was denounced on the floor Of the
House as an evidence of the Subtle power
Of Morgan's millions" He was called high
collared. heightened, high browed Tory An
gophobist," advocating course that was
"reprehensible, direful and damna5le."
If few men are excepted il is fair TO say
that Congress wholly fails to understand the
war The Republican and Democratic con-
ventions failed to understand it, Our politi-
cal bodies think of the war only as a beastly
brawl. There is nothing in the heaven and
earth of Europe that is not alien to their
philosophy They understand only its hell.
At every crisis since the war began dis
cusson has been evaded as much as posi-
Bile. The evasion or postponement of each
crisis has brought sigh of relief. SO our
opinion has not developed And now we are
at the beginning Of great political cam
paign We have a great opportunity TO edu-
cate and ennoble our opinion And we are
told that we must not try 10 do so. To me
this is the issue Of the campaign. The issue
is whether we are at last to have that Aexi-
BILE and saving talk which Bagehot said was
the great ruling force of democraces.
I believe that we must have it, II is not
fair not to have il. II is not fair TO allow
pro- Germans to vote for Hughes because they
are sngered at Wilson's failure to break the
blockade, for his stand on armed merchant
men. It is not fair TO ask Progressives, who
believe in economic readjustment, to support
the Republican party, with its more eonser-
vative ruling personnel, on the plea that in
this crisis the prestige of the country is at
stake. if the Republicans are unwilling 70
talk about the very things that involve that
prestige.
We must have free talk, because that is
the only way for democracy to proceed
It must not resign itself through fear of it.
self to its leaders. It's leaders may lead its