Middletown transcript., 1917-04-21
OUR PATRIOT PRESIDENT

OUR PATRIOT PRESIDENT
DRESIDENT Wilson is playing mag
l nificently patriotic war role these
days! A courageous reversal of all his
past unworthy peace-at-any price poll
cies that has aroused and captured the
soul of the Nation from Maine to Cali
fornia, and brought all patriots rallying
to his support.
He is urging the instant realization
in noble deeds of his glowing call to
arms He is demanding from half
reasonable, sulking Congress that all
weak, foolish halfway measures of
home defence be abandoned, and that
the Stars and Stripes be forthwith flown
alongside the Tricolor of France and
the Union Flag of Britain on the Euro
pean battle front where the Nations are
struggling to throttle the savage Ger
man Wild Beast thirsting for Freedom
blood.
But time-serving, cowardly, pro-
German Congress, playing petty politics
in the hour of the country's peril, is do
ing it's best to thwart his patriotic pur
poses, his own party leading in the
shameful work.
On Tuesday the Democratic House
Committee on Military affairs by vote
Of ten to nine defeated the Presidents
selective draft bill, compulsory uni
versal service measure clearly proved to
be the only one that will raise the forces
needed to protect the Nation and avenge
!, the outrages already done our flag and
our citizens.
Of the nine votes for the draft bill
seven were Republicans and only two
Democrats, while of the 10 votes against
the measure, seven were Democrats
and only three Republicans "a showing
that does great credit to the patriotism
of the Republicans, and equal discredit
to the disloyalty of the Democrats
The Republican Press and the party gen.
orally, Theodore Roosevelt at their
head, are everywhere warmly endorsing
the Presidents new policies which are
also eliciting worldwide commenda-
ton.
Since writing this, the late dispatches
tell us that President Wilson has form
ally called upon Congressman Lenroot
and Mann, the Republican leaders, to
aid him in securing the passage of his
measures-a repetition of the compli-
ment paid the Republican Party long
ago by President Cleveland when basely
forsaken in like crisis by his own Dem.
ocratic Cong, essmen.
But it is the same miserable Congress
sional nest of selfish, reasonable poll
ticians that in 1776 when our RevoIu
tionary fathers were suffering at Valley
Forge and dying on many battlefelds tt
win the liberties we now enjoy, har
rassed and hampered those patriots
and opposed Washington in his efforts
until at times he was almost willing tt
resign in despair.
The same wretched crew in Congress
in 1861, when those blood-bought liber
ties of our Revolutionary fathers, wer'
trembling in the balance and the Uniol
seemed doomed, played the identica
disreputable tricks with the great Lin
coin whose heroic Boys in Blue wer
dying on every battlefield, until he to-
grew sick at heart and feared thes
traitors in Congress. willing to sacrifice
to their base ends the Nations honor
aye it's very life, would wreck the cause
of Freedom.
But the Presidents wise policies, ar
the only one which can further tn
great cause of world Democracy, ant
save our Nations honor in the face o
an expectant world looking to the Grea
Republic for leadership; and the SAM
patriotism which saved the day in q
and in 81, and which ever abides deel
down in the sound hearts Of the people
will once more show itself, and rallyini
enthusiastically to the Presidents sup
port, will drive these sordid Congress
sional cattle into doing their duty. int
executing the will of their masters, tn
American people.