The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-27

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bullt up outside of that provided in
the constitution. The government
has charge of the railroads and
ships. 1t is fixing the price of pro.
ducts and telling us what to eat, when
TO eat and what to, pay for it. In an
other year of war the government o;
this country will be practically in tho
hands of this extra constitutional ma
chinery. 1t is going to take the
wisest craftsmanship, the keenest
sense of justice and the most exalted
patriotism to do this successfully.
We need brains for this purpose as
much as food for the soldiers, and
executive ability as much as guns
Russia had 100000 soldiers under
arms, countless guns and more raw
material than any nation on earth
and yet she is today from a lack OF
constructive craftsmanship prostrateL
with the heel of the Kaiser on her
neck
There can be no peace between
German and American ideals of gov
ernment. We are fighting today for
the principles of the Democracy for
which Christ died on the hill of Cal
vary. The right of every nation to
live it's own life in it's own way. We
are now writing the most tragic chap
ter in the history of man and all the
nations are being punished, but out
OF this supreme agony new nations
strong in youth and energy will arise
not even Germany can destroy the
spirit of freedom. l believe that ou.
of this war will come q great brother.
hood of nations. There is deem
significance in the appointment of an
army composed of the flower of the
troops from the Allied nations. The
ideal which found expression in the
worlds peace congress at the Hague
failed of it's immediate purpose, be
l.
ed power to protect the weak agains,
the strong. When this war is over It
Will find great army commanded by
Gen. Foch which will represent all
the nations; it will find the council OF
Versailles composed of the wisest
statesmen from all the nations. It was
the supreme wisdom of Woodrow,
Wilson which gave us this council
with an armed force to back it. Here
is the machinery developed by ne.
| cessity" to hold a fretful realm in
awe" the time has come when the ma
tions shall meet in the parliament
of man the federation of the world"
In one hundred years from today
when the history Of this war is being
written and the eyes of men are not
dfmmed by the carnage and smoke
of battle, it will be realized that this
action Of President Wilson is the
most important in it's effect on the fu-
ture of mankind of any one thing
that has occurred since the crucifixion
Of Christ. 1t was an inspiration from
on high, as much so, as any message
ever delivered to the children OF
Israel through the mouth of Moses Or
Samuel. l look with dread on the ef-
feet of a political system which in
the midst of this great crisis will de-
prive us Of the wisdom of our great
est prophet We have with wonderful
adaptibility broken the political dog
ma embraced in Washington's fare
we'll address and the Monrone doc
trine. If this war goes on the
wisest thing that the people of the
United States can do is, for the time
at least, to refuse to be hampered by
the custom of not electing an eXecu-
tive for a third term. Woodrow
Wilson was elected the last time not
by the Democratic party but by the
uprising of the people which carried
| nearly every State. 1 believe that if
the Democratic party will meet in it's
| national convention and adopt a plat
form with just one single plank in it.
| Woodrow Wilson, that the common
sense Of the people of this country
will assert itself as it did in 1916
There is a great deal of truth in the
saying never swap horses crossing a
stream" Conscription is becoming
popular in this government. Presi-
dent Wilson is conscripting our boys
to fight the Germans and I think we
ought to conscript him to tell them
how to do it.
This war can only be Won by a
great statesman. combining the ideal
sim of Kerensky, with the prac-
teal wisdom of Bismarck. Our