The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-03-01


Editor The Bismarck Tribune,
Bismarck, N. Oak.
Dear Sir:
wish to acknowledge the courtesy
of The Tribune in replying to my
questions which were submitted to it
in letter which was published in a
previous issue.
/ understand your viewpoint yet
you haven't convinced me that your
answers are logical because they are
conclusions drawn from result, the
cause of which is assumed as a fact,
but not established as a fact.
do not agree with you as to the
reason of, nor to our obligations in
volved in the result of President Will
sons emphatic endorsement at the
polls last November; as to the reas-
on Of the endorsement | do not say
that my conclusions are any more
substantial than yours are, but yet
believe they are somewhat tenable.
You must remember that our people
had other consequences to consider
than Wilson and his foreign policy.
You must remember that the people
had only two chances in the presiden-
tial issue, so it was either one or the
other 1t was Wilson with his un-
American policy, or Hughes with his
still more un-American policy with
the renegade Roosevelt to boot. The
result of last November's election was
not an endorsement Of President Will
sons foreign policy but it was re-
pudiation of the Roosevelt clique. AS
general rule the common people 90
not pay much attention to campaign
orators, unless it is to consider which
of them are preaching the biggest lies.
The people seemed to take 1t Tor
granted that the president had kept
the country out Of war and that was
about as much as they could set
| down as the truth.
| AS to our obligations in backing
the president to the limit because we
elected him, he has already reached
the limit, and bumped up against our
constitution. We don't elect presi-
dent to make an absolute dictator
out of him; if we do, then we should
dispose of our congress and our con-
Ii,
absolutism, we should not be mas
querading in the guise Of republic.
Whenever our congress has enough
American snap and backbone about
it to outline a policy that is strictly
neutral; policy that will demand
protection of the inalienable rights
of all our citizens and not a certain
class of them; policy that will de-.
mand the observation OF international
law with equal doggednes, Of all bel
ligerents, and not just one OF them
and hand it over to our president,
with undisguised admonition towards
all concerned, then the whole Amerl-
can nation, except the real traitors,
will be right at his back and we'll
fight a dozen wars if it is necessary,
and without any referendum either
That is what the American people
want, fair fight or none.
As to Germany's solemn pledges in
the submarine question; they were
solemn only as far as our newspapers
have made them so. They were only
conditional Pledges the guarantee
of their continuance involving duty
upon the United States which it fail
ed to perform; which failure being
the consequence of Germanys pledg-
es being withdrawn.
Count Won Bernstorff's declaration
meant nothing, except that President
Wilson had no other course to pursue
than to sever relations with Germany,
if he was to adhere to course OF &C.
ton upon which he had resolved.
Yours truly,
MRS. J. c. O'RYAN.