Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-02
IT'S UP TO YOU TO DECIDE

In four days the American voter will be called upon to
perform the most solemn duty of citizenship that of reg
isterng his decision to the person who shall be selected
to manage the affairs of his country for the coming four
years He must decide as to what policies ne thinks Will
be for the best for the whole country. While there
four candidates in the field from whom he can select,
there are only two for whom there is any chance OF
election Those are President Woodrow Wilson, and
Candidate Charles Evan Hughes. While this is true is
still the privilege generally the duty of those who believe
in the principles of Socialism to vote for Mr. Benson al
though he has no chance for election That makes no
difference for it is the duty of every citizen to express
his honest convictions at the polls unless circumstances
for time lead him to believe that there is danger to the
country in the election of or the other of the two Of
whom he knows will be elected. Then the danger to
the country should require that he for the time lose sight
of the political principles and vote to AVOID tne immaculate
danger.
When the voter enters the booth prepare his or her
ballot personal prejudice liking should be laid aside,
for the casting of ballot is Tor one hundred mllon
Others than the voter The happiness and prosperity OF
the balance of the people of the country as well as the
voters own dependent the decision In the cleo
ton booth the voter alone with his conscience and there
the glamour of campaign speeches should be forgotten
preudces laid aside and the clear cold result OF sell
communion as to what is best for the whole country
should alone guide his decision The voter who so casts
his ballot or hers has done all that his duty demands and
whether that Judgment is right not the voter has voted
right for he has voted his conscience dictated.
In the present election the issues are indeed grave
The civilized nations of the world except those OF Amer
ica are engaged in the most terrible war OF all history
Up to this time we have kept free from It, 1t matters not
how or why but that cup has been turned from us.
When this war started President Wilson at the head
of our government and has held that position during the
two years and of struggle His opponents laugh at
the claim that he has kept out of war; Ii he has not
who has? They say nobody wanted this country to go to
war and that the action OF those countries ana not
our president who kept out of war; Is this true
England has sneerd at because we have not gone TO
war with Germany over her submarine activities, but she
has
American administration fit to be patient with Ger
many realizing her struggle and the conditions that
had arisen owing to the coming of the submarine rather
than by ourishing the big stick and sending our youth
to redden with their blood the fields of Europe.
Colonel Roosevelt has boldly declared he would have
taken steps that would have inevitably led to war with
Germany. He says he would have seized the lnterned
German ships Portugal did this and its act was fol
lowed by declaration of war by Germany This is what
Roosevelt would have done. Candidate Hughes says ne
would have taken drastic measures than did Pres
ident Wilson, That means that he too would have forced
the country into with Germany.
Each of these gentlemen tell that they would have
cleaned up Mexico Do they imagine this could be done
without war? Do they think that such war would not
lew heavy toll of lives the flower of young
American manhood? And what for? 1t is a family row
down in Mexico and while it is nuisance to the neigh
bors most family rows are it not our privilege TO
step in to settle it, Some Americans have been killed. but
not by those for whom the Mexican government is re-
sponsbe but by bands of uncontrolled rebels 1t not
the lives of these that is worrying the big investors IN
Mexico but their properties for which they would
sacrifice thousands of more American lives freely
That shows how badly they feel about the killing of such