The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-21
TO AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
New York Tribune.l


The following personal letter was written by Mr..
friend abroad:
have just received your cable asking. whats
the matter with America" I suppose you refer
chiefly to the late fibuster in the senate. shall
have to answer with letter.
The thing will be explained in a great many ways.
The filibusters themselves. for instance, will plead
patriotism. But not that explanation any other
will make the fact less sickening. The true en-
PLANTATION. rs think is Mr. Wilson. He has ridden
for this fall. He is too tmid to lead and too
headsrong to follow Reelection has been of far
moro importance to him than anything else; four
years of continued maneuvering election have
got him into bad habits OF thought which at his
age only to be broken with difficulty. In order
to win the German vote he allowed the Germans
tration hand and glove with them and for them.
His chief agent Senator Stone Cor Is 1t Stein ~
the leader of the late fbuster But it was not the
German vote which elected Mr. Wilson. 1t
the stirring slogan, He kept out of war" l do
not accuse him Of having invented this phrase. but
1t Yes soft Impeachment which he did not deny,
noI"dd he deny that he was personally responsible
for that immense prosperity which began with the
first orders That Mr. Wilson had anything
to do with keeping out of war is of course, rdic
ulous. 1t is equally ridiculous to hold him respon-
sible for our prosperity But majority of Amcri-
cans believed that he keeping out and MAX
ing us rich. And they voted for him. These same
Americans tBarnsms kind of which the birth rate
is one mnute) now getting ready in their
might to blame him for steering us into the war
and for the food riots of which they are beginning
| to read in the papers.
When l speak Of the kind of Americans who
Elected Mr.. Wilson I must make an exception of
the south To man the intellectuals in the south
we'll the idiots always vote for the Democratic
Senator Stone traitor, but let him be nominated
for the presidency and he will have their suffra &C.
| The south does not vote for a man. 1t votes for
| the first duty of a man-seH- preservation. And
nobody of education will find fault with the south
for so voting. In estimating the president there is
no difference between the intelligent southerner
and the intelligent northerner the difference lies
the fact that the former will him every time
and the latter will never vote for MIN at all.
He was reelected, then. by those who had to vote
for him and by those who sincerely believed that
he had kept them out of war and made them pros
porous 1t is from these that he derives his power
and his support. Now. the moment nc becomes a
war president he will lose the support Of those who
arc for peace at almost any price, support which,
except numerically speaking. was worth hav-
ing, and he will gain the support, grudging and
half hearted. of the intellectual and the educated
He will gain the support of those who judging him
absolutely upon his record II is written in his
tory for all to read, reason to trust either
, his sagacty or his will to manliness.
In Mexico he pulled down an assassin in orde,
to set one up. He took Vera Cruz in order to re,
the flag saluted Unsaluted. he sailed away. H,
!. called for Villa, alive dead At a cost of $162
100000 he marched into Mexico. and then h,