The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-06

We should, therefore, prepare our
selves to meet these reverses with for
titude. The American people must pre-
pare themselves now to stand firmly
even under great reverses. Remem Der
that when war is once begun, it can
not cease until the goal is reached.
Whatever the misfortunes of war may
bring to us, we must meet it all, in
calm way, like brave and determined
people.
The Wars End.
There is much guessing as to the
time when the war will end. l say
guessing" because 1 do not believe
that any man, having all the knowl-
edge regarding the war that it is pos
sible to have, who knows the situa-
ton in every country on the face of
the earth, can forecast when, in any
degree of certainty, or how the end
will come.
Let us review the situation in Eu-
rope as it exists today:
France asks the return of Alsace-
Lorraine. We need not expect Ger
many to surrender that territory I'M
til she is brought to her knees.
Italy demands piece Of Austria.
Germany demands a part of Russia.
England demands Germanys African
possessions. The territorial boundar-
les of the Balkan states are to be re-
vised. The Dardanelles is to be inter-
, nationalized. Evidently none is ready
to yield as yet, and | predict that
none will yield unless he be exhausted.
Whether the United States is to re-
disputes are settled will depend upon
the will of the president Of the United
States and the congress. However,
| whether the cause Of the war, wheth-
er Americas war aims, whether the
terms of peace insisted upon by our
COVE rnment suit all of US or not, we
must not change our attitude towards
our own country. Whatever has been
done by us, and whatever there is yet
to do will be done by that government
which we have ourselves created
1t is representative government
| presided over by the men of our own
selection, and to those who may dis
| agree with it, / want to say: You
should be obedient. In times of stress
you must yield to the government of
your own selection. If you are not
| willing to do that, if you would wish
a situation where only those who are
| willing should obey, then we will soon
have no government at all This is
government of and by a majority The
majority has willed that these things
be done, and they must be done until
the majority wills otherwise.
Speaking of our government: No
nation on earth has been able to MAIN
tain a government that is more gen.
erous towards it's citizens than is our
own. That should appeal particularly
| to those who have come to us from
foreign lands. For fifty years or more
the American citizen hardly knew by
reason of any contact with the gener-
al government that there is one. The
average farmer, the man who lives in
the village, scarcely sees a federal Of
! ficer. We have no federal tax collect
ors. We have had none to Cypress u.s.
All this government has asked is that
we respond to its call when it needs
us. That time has come now and we
must do it.
| La FOllette's Attitude.
l wish to return again for a moment
| to further consideration of the af-
fairs Of state and it's public servants
The people and the press have free
ly criticised Senator La Toilette and
his attitude on the war
In discussing the senator, / should
remind you that / have opposed him,
politically, for fifteen years. That he
has been more than unfriendly to me,
1 need only mention. During all the
years [ have opposed, the same papers
that are now trying to connect me
with him were his most ardent sup
porters and abused me then for my
| opposition to him, as they do now for
what they represent as another rea-
son. However, the diagnosis is simple
it's the same old bile under another
color.
| No person or paper has any fact
that justifies the statement that I have
any political or personal relation with
the senator. 1 think he will freely ad-
NIT so much If ne is asked.
My own judgment as to how Mr. La
Toilette should be dealt with is this:
If the senator in the performance of
his duty in the United States senate,
or elsewhere, has committed an Of
tense against the government, the
United States senate is the only court
in which he can be tried and that
august body should give him prompt
and fair trial and if it finds him guilty
it should expel him from that body. If,
on the other hand, he has committed
no offense against the government,
and in an unbiased investigation it is
found that he has done nothing that
disqualifies him as seator or a pa
triotic citizen the United States senate
should say so and the public trial of
Senator La Toilette should end
| To those who are anxious to public
ly repudiate him in Wisconsin, make
this statement:
| [ have no objection to any practical
procedure in the state of Wisconsin
that would give the people an oppor-
tunity to either approve or disapprove
| his actions in the senate or his recent
| course outside of the senate on the