Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-03-14
CITIZENS BRAVE BLIZZARD
TO HEAR OPENING GUN
OF CAMPAIGN
Platform of Loyalty and Stern Neces
sity of Winning the War Receives
Great Demonstration at
WATERFOWL.


fact that the city was in the grip
of blasting blizzard, Watertown
turned out well to hear her re-
turning native son, Joseph E. Da-
vies, make the initial speech OF his
senatorial campaign. Approx
mately 500 citizens braved the
storm to attend the Davies meet
ing at Turner hall.
Seldom has any candidate received
such a welcome as Mr.. Davies received.
Every patriotic allusiOn, every state
ment made in support OF the poilcleS
of the government, his condemnation
of the invasion Of Belgium, and ms
demands for unity on the part OF the
American people, brought tremendous
applause. When Commissioner Davies
stated that we must win the war, that
this country is the best country that
we know, and that when a mans hand
is not raised for his country it is
against it, the applause was deafening.
A delegation of citizens met Mr..
Davies at the station and the Water
town band greeted him on his arrival
i'm the hotel His address follows:
my friends and fellow citizens: This
is the city Of my birth. L am glad 10
come back home on this occasion. AS a
candidate for the United States senate
TO fiji the unexpirtd term of the late
Senator Paul HuSting, | wished to open
my campaign here with you among my
old friends.
'The tragic death of the late Senator
HuSting deprived our state and our
country of as great and as courageous
an American spirit as this state has ever
known. His sad and untlmely death,
which was mOurned the natlOn over mas
projected a serious issue for the people
of Wisconsin in the election of his sue
CeSSOr.
1.-The time that we are living in is one
of the most mOmentOuS in the history OF
civilization. Our country is at war with
the central empire Of Europe in the
greatest conflict of history. At such a
time and in so serious a conflict there IS
no room for division Of council or actlon
in the nations program. we are all Tor
our country.
Loyalty of State Questioned.
This election presents no ordinary
issue. 1t presents severe uncOm-
promising test to every man and every
candidate in Wisconsin. The issue has
been projected by the fact that the con-
duct and statements of certain puDllc
men who purport to represent WlScm-
sin, have brought the belief to many
men of this country that Wisconsin IS
not Loyalty behind the country and the
administration in the conduct OF this
war. The determination of this cleo
ton will be watched with intense inter-
est by our sister states, by the men IN
the trenches and by those who are
charged with the responsibility OF bring
ing victory to America in our light Tor
civilization and democracy. Whether
we would have it or not, the issue Is
made here, and with the result Of this
election will go the determination IN the
minds of the country whether Wisconsin
is loyal commonwealth or whether it's
people are in sympathy with the enemies
of our great cause.
ut is, moreover, a test Of democracy
itself. 1t tests the capacity of demo-
cratic people to present a united front
in this great cause before the efficiency
and power of a mighty centralized mill
tary autOcracy which is skilled in the
art of that dark diplomacy that breeds
diScOrd and diSSensiOn among the peO-
pies of the enemy country and which
would utilize the very privileges OF
democracy as a means to sow the seeds
of their success over weakened peo.
pie.
THAT is the issue that is presented
in this election, and it is up to every
man to determine that he will strip
from himself all partisan, party or
racial fee ling or prejudice and face the
is for or against mis- country. There is
and can be no middle ground. These
are heroic times. Every man today is
whole heartedly for the support of his
country and the chief of
the army and navy, or his hand is
against his country. The enlightened
intelligence of our state Will not permit
consideration of other and smaller issues
TO becloud this vital situation. The
honor of our state, the good name Of our
people and the justification for democ-
racy itself in the minds of many men
will be determined by the result of this
election. | have no doubt as to the re-
suit
THE issues for which we are fighting
III this war have been clearly stated
by the president Of the United States.
The aims for which we are fighting have
been repeatedly set forth.
This great conflict in which we are
engaged is, indeed, a conflict between
two schools of thought, two systems of
philosophy, a conflict between two re-
ligiouS or moral beliefs.
Every great civilization in history
has had its foundation in great moral
principles. These principles were COM
mon to all PHILOSOPHERS that brought
good to the world. They found their
greatest expression in the Christian re-
ligiOn. All of the great blessings in our
civilization in literature. in art, in sci
ence, may directly be traced to the in
huence of the teachings of Christ All
great democracies are founded funda-
mentally on this moral concept, that the
same rule of conduct must govern ma
tions in their relations with other ma
tions as govern men in their relations
with each other, that the same law gov
ernS states that governs man.
"The philosophy which NietZSchke. Bern.
hardi and TreitSchke and leaders of Ger
man political thought have translated in
the life and conduct of the imperial gov
eminent of Germany is the direct Oppo-
site OF the principles of Christianity.
This philosophy proclaimS that he who
has the power to take has the divine
right to have; that the standard of
righteousness is success; that If You can
get away with it, no matter what the
deed Is, ii is right. 1t places a different
rule OF conduct upon a nation than it
does upon individuals. The theory of
the autocratic state of Germany is that
the state can do no wrong. That all
things may be done by the state TO in
crease its greatness and power.
Nothing But Might Makes Right.
Thus Spake the crown prince in 1913 !:
To-day, indeed, We live in time which
points with special satisfaction to the
proud height of its culture, which is only
too willing to boast of its international
coSmopolitaniSm, and fiatters itself with
visionary dreams Of the possibility of an
everlasting peace throughout the world.
This view of life is un-German and does
not become u.s.
Thus spoke Treitschke in 1916: 1T is
necessary, then, to choose between pub
lie and private morality, and since the
state is power, its duties must rank diff
ferently from those of the individual.
THE whole literature of the military
ruling class of Germany upon which
their actions of government are founded
is based on this idea, to-wit: That might
makes right and that no moral law gov
ernS the state.