Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-05-22
IS LIBERALISM MUZZLED?

There are In this country at the pres
ent time several DISTINGUISHED English
Journalists representing the liberal press
at least worth recording that there ex-
lists in America at the present time an
intolerance and hysteria that discour-
prevent the mobilization Of that veryl
support on which President Wilson must
some day rely when it comes to an issue
o ms an% of
In special privileges for it's traders and
bankers and foreign Investments, and
therefore in the. preservation of the old
diplomacy that depend upon armed force
and fear These journalists came to
America enthusiastic over President Will
sons leadership and success in aroustng
war against Germany that would be un-
questionably war also for the EXTERN
nation Of special privilege and the en-
thronement of justice and fair dealing
appalled, since their arrival by the tone
and substance Of editorials and articles
in the metropolitan press and by other
phenomena which they interpret as
showing the absence of a dominating
public opinion that understands and sup
ports the Presidents liberal views. MIR.
News, tactfuny expresses his feeling
by contrast in an article contributed
Of all papers!--to the New York Tri-
Ssn she Rritsh Ma6or
ton with 1t, he writes:
Brightly or Wrongly. British labor
stands for freedom of conscience and
liberty OF speech: II man disagrees
We find that our people fight better and
work harder when they are encouraged
to speak their minds and hear not one
side only, but al sides. You do not un-
derstand US: We do not mind fighting
Germans, especially when Germans are
up against us three to one. Out Of the
| young men in the houses Immediately
adjoining my own five are wounded, four
are dead, and two were killed after re-
| turning to service healed Of wounds.
We are always ready to fight majorities
| require us to trample down minorities-
if that is to be our test of patriotism
if the few and the weak are to be bat
tened into silence, you must seek other
allies than the English. We listen to
our pacitists because we hold that every
British sub ect of the Crown is entitled
by personal liberty. In our Parliament
and in our labor congresses pacifsts are
heard freely. 1t was so when we fought
Napoleon. Fox was instantly up against
i Pitt. You must take us as we are
those that are left of u.s."
i Even Americans who cordially agree
with English liberals in this are moved
to defend the American democracy and
PLANTATION Of phenomena which they, mis-.
, Interpret. No other nation is made uI
as we are of peoples from all nations
. of the earth. each retaining more or less
!: of its ancient prejudices and influenced
. in spite of judgment, by old allegiances
{: And no other nation at war has had t.
combat an 9rganzsd Ger
? in the belief that our millions of citizens
: of German origin would respond to i
} by preferring Germany to America. Il
Socialist Party was under the leader
ship of men several of whom can bt
justly suspected of cloaking, whethe1
st aGherenee to BETHANY as ea under tn
mantle of internat1onalism. 1t was thu
only Allied country containing large
groups who were not assimilated, Wht
spoke and read foreign language, ane
whose mental processes and intention:
were not an open book to their neigh
bors and fellow citizens. There has beer
during this first year, that every, mar
stand up and be counted. Considering
everything, we have reason to be proud
Of our record. The loyalty of the over
German origin or descent has contrlbut
ed much to this, but the spirit of Presi
dent Wilson's utterances and his exc
cutive orders have contributed more
: Only those Germans have been interfer
ed with whose conduct has shown a de
liberate and overt antagonlsm to tn
the great size of the country and tn
laxity with which it is policed, mob VIC
lence has been exceedingly rare.
1t is when we read the metropolitan
, dailies, or the outgivings of the Ameri
can Defense Society, or the speeches O.
reactionary Republican Senators, or tn
testimony of the Chairman of the Min
nesota Public Safety Commission tina
ed and question the country's capaclt!
for that tolerance and respect for FREE
thought and discussion which are s.
essential in a democracy. The Public
? has been as susceptible to that mood a:
any one. But by placing events in theil
true perspective and surveying carefully
we are sure is a justified optimism
Certainly none of us ever cherished an,
illusions about our metropolitan press
1t is no new thing for special privilege
to attempt to turn any prevailing wave
of prejudice or emotion against it's enc
mics. And when we come to a consider
alton of the specific and the concrete
what do we find? The gains Of organic
ers' Non-Partisan League is having al
uninterrupted growth. and the persecu
ton which it is undergoing at the hand:
of the discredited Minnesota State AID
ministration has only served to increase
it's strength and solidarity and rail-!
to it new friends. For every local pub
the movement there is a Federal otiicia
who indorses it and spreads it's praises
FIn this field, as elsewhere, Presiden
Wilson's influence and the power of hi
|
The truth is that any abatement O.
liberal discussion concerning interna
tional problems or economical problems
which is in force today is the result O
, cowardice and timidity on the part O
those who refrain from such discussion
But we are not prepared to admit Their
is such an abatement. Never on the con
: trary, was there such a quickened interes
in these matters. No censorship, NJ
. prosecutions, no amount or patcioleer
ing by private interests and reactionar!
newspapers can offset the tremendous
impetus given to the democratic move
ment by the events of the past year
not the least of which have been the ut
+ terances OF President Wilson. More AM
more as time goes on it will he true tina
: the phrase standing ~ the president
, will fall from the lips of radicals AM
liberals, while mentions Of the lresiden
and his policies by reactiOnary individ
F.. uals and newspapers will have for thei
theme rather the liscredi,ing and oppos
ing of his leadership.-The Public.
Married in Minneapolis.
Augusta Swanson, sister Of Mrs
, A. H. Swanson of this city, was unit