New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-07
For an Iron Hand
Against a Plague of Copperheads
and Policeman Propagandists

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Considering the length of time since
war was declared against Germany, is 1t not
now time that our lawmakers, Senator Sor-
ghum, Representatives Corntassel and Pork
Barrel, ct al, cease their pro-German tactics
in the interests of reelection by their hyphen-
ated constituents and do something in the in
terests of their fellow countrymen who are
real and patriotic Americans?
We are more than two years behind with
our preparedness programme which should
have dated from twenty-four hours after the
Lusitauia barbsrity. Still these misrepre-
sentatives of the national spirit are dllly-
dallying and losing time over inconsequential
questions of party politics and presumably
future graft.
In the West the |. W. W. is permitted with
out serious opposition to cripple our copper
and lumber output and threaten the destruc-
ton or loss of the ripening harvest OF wheat
and corn. The majority of the members of
this organization are not American citizens,
and many are said to be Austrians or Hun
Garians
In New York we'll known magazine, which
claims to be the only remaining organ of the
radicals and a general champion OF the OPP
without country, born in Ireland educated
in Germany, with deep hatred of England,
due to having enjoyed her benefits and pro-
lection for years, with a grave disapproval of
war, in combination with a reverence for Ger
man institutions, somewhat paradoxically.
This replica of Sir Roger Easement sans the
physical courage of that unfortunate eccen-
trio is insidiously and sedtiously filling the
minds of his many readers, North, South, East
and West, with pacfst and pro-German prop
uganda, skilfully interspersed among articles
of real merit and value on the social ques-
tons and disequilbriums of everyday life,
first gaining their confidence by showing SYM
patty and knowledge of their daily problems,
and then leading them sstray on the most
vital question that Americans have ever had
for their consideration.
Probably this able writer is galvanized
American, but 20 say that he is loyal or
patriotic citizen would be misuse of Eng
lish. That unmolested he Is permitted tQ
write and publish broadcast his opinions, that
are directly calculated TO throw discredit on
the attempts of the nation really to prepare
TOR war with promptness and dispatch goes
TO prove that as people We are not yet fully
awake to the fact that we have entered into
war with the most powerful military autoc-
racy Of the world, whose latent barbsrism
inherited from their ancestors, the LAM
knechts of tho Middle and Dark Ages, is re-
inforced by the latest mechanical and scien-
tifc discoveries in destructiveness.
In our Civil War of the eos spies were shot,
A disloyal member of Congress was deported
into the Southern lines, ana many men OF
Copperhead leanings were furnished by the
Federal government with free quarters in
Fort Lafayette or other strongholds, where
they were under the strictest surveillance.
Is it not already time that the iron hand OF
martial Law should curb the acts of alien
enemies that swarm in our midst, and of dis
loyal Americans who are blindly endeayoring
to insure the unsuccessful outcome Of war
in which our life and liberty as a nation
depend! ARTHUR DIX TEMPLE.
Eagle Pass, Tex, Aug, !, 1917,