The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-11-01
AN "OPEN LETTER" 10 InE NEW
YORK HERALD
Ocala, Florida, October 20, 1918.

To the Editor OF the f1erdlu'
One can scarcely conceive how the
admirers of the Herald, usually so
fair and conservative, 5eplore its
comments on the presidents message
to the nation for friendly and sym
pathetic congress to aid him in this
momentous crisis in the worlds his
tory.
Ex-President Roosevelt's article in
the November issue of the Metropoli-
tan magazine and his telegram TO 4
number Of republican senators dis
close the embarrassment and hOstili-
ty to which the president would De
subjected with a republican congress-
on his hands.
If President Wilson had made
grievous errors; if he had been d mis-
fit in office as was so sententious'y
prophesied by the nations two famous
journalists. Colonel George Harvey
and Colonel Henry Watterson, On
their return from their fateful pi.
grimage TO the New Jersey home or
the then school master, there would
/ be some justification for retiring the
party Of which he is the recognized
/ leader, but with the colors flying more
brightly and the nation commanding
the respect OF the world as never be
fore in history. to do so would be a
political blun5er amounting to a ma
tional crisis.
On national or other grounds there
is no justification for returning the
republican party 10 power.
Now, Of all others. is a time for ma
tiOnal unity. 1t is as impossible for
sectional party TO become nation
al party as il is for a leopard TO change
! mis- spots or an Ethiopian his skin
Despising the south-an integral part
Of the union-as the republican party
does. divests il of the claim to patriot
ism It may at times possess the per
suasive voice Of Jacob, but its acts
at ali times are those Of Esau.
It is no historical libel to say that
it was conceived in sectonalism and
has been nurtured on its hatred OF the
south and her institutions, and what
is bred in the bone is lasting It's
history has been one Of intolerance
an3. vengeance and refusal to let
bygones be bygones.
Even now in this hour when nation
al unity is so much 10 be desired, il
delves into the past and again unpatri
otically aaunts the bloody shirt
into our faces as our sons go forth to
battle Offering themselves as a sacri-
fee TOR the freedom OF the worlu.
The pity Of it.
The legislation and ire literature Of
the republican party are the harsh
est and most malevolent in American
history, and with the heroism of Bag
ley and Hobson in Cuba and the sac
rifices of so many southern sons IN
France, its temper is unsoftene5 and
its leaders still sulk in their tents
with a malignant case of sour grapes,
tinctured with gal! and bitterness.
This is notonly true Of its intern.
perate legislation towards the unof
tending south. but it is true in other
respects.
! Sam Bowles. the lamented eoitor
Of the Springfield Republican, said
that the carpet-bagism of the republi-
can party was a vile scandal which
like the blood on MacBeth's hands
would never rub off That even the
magnanimous Grant consorte3 with
! politicians of the worst sort. That Nc
made an unconditional Surrender to
them. and allowed himself to be run
! By them That ne lived and moved il
/ an atmosphere Of sordid materiali>,n
! and possessed neither the power nor
the wish to rise above it. That ne dill
not seem to understand that there
/ was anything higher or better; that
ne acted as though he held i ira
whole duty OF an American president
10 enjoy himself in office and make
patronage" 80 Is far as possible in
local as we'll as national elections.
The national atmosphere at that
time was polluted with the stencil q