The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-10-25
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THE TWO MR.. WILSON

WHAT lnlS COuntIg hcSuS Seiu iOoi-
dent Wilson in a speech at Chicago
Thursday, is "a renaissance of the
sense of patriotic responsibility"
The country generally will agree
with Mr.. Wilson on this point, with the
added sentiment that a good place to
begin this process of regeneration is
in the White House.
As a phrasemaker the President is \
magnificent success. AS an interpret
er of "the sense of patriotic respon-
sibility" he has been a fiat failure.
Nobody will abuse him for this. 1t is
temperamental 1t is his way of pre-
serving the honor and dignity of the
nation.
When he sends an army corps to
Vera Cruz to avenge an insult and
withdraws the troops because the Mex
leans get angry about such warlikc
conduct on the part of the United
States, one naturally wonders where
OuI hdNlOhdl VI pau iOfi1 -
sponsibility" has its abiding place.
When he sends another army of in
vasion, with Pershing at its head, t.
take the bandit Villa, dead or alive,
and, after some of the bravest of our
soldiers are ambushed and slaughter
ed, withdraws these troops at the per-
emptory demand of dodering old Car
rama, again one is moved to seek the
fountain head of our national Sense
of patriotic responsibility.
When we say to a foreign nation Of
our own size that we will hold her to
strict accountability" for the de-
struction of American lives, and, the
anticipated Offsense committed, we
merely declare that Some people may
be too proud to fight" the spirits OF
more than a thousand little children,
women and men, all entitled to the
protection of "Old Glory" appeal from
the bottom of the Atlantic ocean to
this sense of patriotic responsibility
If President Wilson, early in his ad-
ministration, had displayed firm
sense ON patriotic responsibility, there
would not today be very much of a
Mexican question, we would be enjoy
ing the respect of cilized nations OF
all the earth, while the fine art OF
phrase-making is going on.
Those who are basing their support
of Mr.. Wilson on the theory that he
has kept us out of war" are either
careless in their thinking or ignore
facts that cannot be swept aside.
Twice has Mr.. Wilson provoked war
with Mexico and that we are not to-
day waging a bloody conflict In that
country is blessing for which We can
thank the Mexicans themselves. There
are those who believe that growth of
the meddling by the United States In
the affairs of that nation when Huerta
had been chosen President, and that II
will require firm craftsmanship and a
sense of patriotic responsibility" of
nature which has so far not been dis
played by the administration at Wash
ington to prevent a protracted, a
bloody and an expensive campaign in
Mexico by the United States before
tranquility is restored.
The one big problem now before the
voters OF the United States is whether
they want their foreign affairs con-
Quoted by men who will formulate, a
policy that is at one constructive, con-
sistent. firm and unyielding to init
nation from without, or whether they
desire another and an indefenite per-
Tod of "Watchful Waiting" fine words
and decay of national pride and efiic-
iency. Leader.