New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-20

l776. In the history of this country
this Is the third great crisis and 1t
comedies with a tremendous world
crisis. The issue is: Are we prepared
with a sane and lofty idealism 70 mt
ourselves 10 render great service 10
mankind by rendering ourselves MT Tor
our own service, or are we content 10
avoid effort and labor in the present
by preparing 20 tread the path that
China has trodden>
We must choose one course or the
other. We shall gain nothing by max
ing believe that we can avoid choosing
either course. At present the attitude
Of many of our politicians In Congress
and outside strongly resembles the at
titude Of many Of the politicians in the
gold and silver controversy OF twenty
years ago.
At that time the free silver men
were bold and insistent, just as the
professional pacihsts are to-day. At
that time, as to-day, the great bulk
Of the politicians, not only In the
Democratic Party, but in the Repub-
lican Party. were at first mortally
afraid to offend the free silver men.
They made every effort TO compromise,
and to take some position that should
not be either for gold or for silver.
Above all, they strOve to avoid the use
Of the word gold"
The ffty-one Republicans who, the
other day, voted against an adequate
army are the spiritual successors Of
the Republicans who, twenty years
ago, in Congress voted for all kinds
Of half measures which they hoped
would convince the free silver people
that we were TO have the unlimited
coinage of silver, and would convince
the other people that we were not TO
have 1t.
Squirmed TO Avoid Word Gold.
The older among you, of course, re-
member how at that day the politicians
sQuirmed in their effort to prevent the
Republican National Convention from
using the word gold; how they de-
manded that instead we should use
some such expression as "having each
dollar equally as good as every other
dollar; how they sought to evade fac
ing the issue.
But when the time came, when the
lines were drawn, and the battle was
on. it became perfectly evident that
the only way TO beat the free silver
people was 20 come straight out for
the gold standard without equivocation
or timidity. The effort TO avoid fight
on the currency and make the fight
only on the tariff was failure. The
gold men stood for q high tariff; but
first and foremost they made the fight
on the issue of maintaining and secur-
ing the gold standard. the sound money
standard; and if they had tried double
4 ~ ho- ! 4. so,
they would have lost, and they would
have deserved to lose. Let us to-day
profit by their example.
In any serious crisis there are always
men who try to carry water on both
shoulders. These men try to escape
the hard necessity Of choice between
two necessarily opposite alternatives
by trying 10 work up some compromise.
IN actual practice, this compromise us
ually proves TO combine with exquisite
nicely all the defects and none of the
advantages Of both courses. II is true
that in ordinary political matters COM
promise is essential. II is true that
in ordinary times 1t is essential.
When Compromise Is Fatal.
But there come great crises when
compromise Is either impossible or
fatal. This is one Of those crises.
| There is no use in saying that we will
/ fit ourselves to defend ourselves a
little, but not much. Such a position
is equivalent to announcing that, if
/ necessary, we shall hit, but that we
shall only hit soft.
The only right principle Is TO pre-
| pare thoroughly or not at all The
| only right principle is TO avoid hitting
/ II it is possible TO do so, but never
under any circumstances TO hit soft.
/ To go to war a little, but not much, is
| the one absolutely certain way TO in
sure disaster. To prepare little but
not much, stands on par with a city
/ developing a fire department which,
after q fire occurs, can put il out a
/ little, but not much.
Yet at this moment the majority OF
our political leaders either keep silent
on the vital issues before our people
or else engage in conflicts which are
almost meaningless because the men
ranged on one side advocate total
unpreparedness and the men ranged on
D Al - - l. L., - Al.