The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-02-28
BEW ARE OF A MASTER
\ WATTERSONS WARNING
Says Wilson Journey Move
Toward Third Term
Ambition


the Presidents ambition to break the
third term precedent. and incidently
thanks the Lord for a Republican con
gress. The interview follows:
Tomorrow is the 22nd of Feb
ruary." the reporter put in, Washing
tons birthday is our second Declare
tion of Independence day. The Cou-
rier-Journal would like you to say
situation, with especial reference to
the doings of Congress, the foreign
journey and coming return OF Presi-
dent Wilson"
IL cannot help thinking" Mr.. Wat
terson replied. that the great Jeho-
yah, who, old Ethan Allen intimated.
stood before the Continental Con-
gress. stands behing the Congress of
the United States, since the Sixty
fifth Congress is about TO adjourn and
the Sixty-sixth. which will presently
assemble, is Republican.
A. To Wilson Administration
The autocratic character, will
not say designs, for | do not know
of the Wilson Administration appear
to me to be in need not merely of re-
buke. but of check. Either the Pres
ident has quite lost his bearings, or
else he is visionary, again | will not
say in vain. enough to believe he can
compass what was denied to Grant
and Cleveland. a third term in the
White House. In my opinion. moth
ing else. or less, could have prompt
ed. impelled the foreign exploitation
AS fond as he seems OF breaking pre-
cedents, ! do not believe he can sue
cessfully violate the precedent set by
Washington. Unless the people are
wholly degenerate. ripe and ready to
be buncoed out of their liberties, they
will forbid this first step toward life
tenure, which a third term would
foreshadow.
Theodore Roosevelt and / had
once a plain talk about this third
term business. he frankly admitted
that he desired a reelection in 1908
and ingeniously defending 1t. They
all do. ! am inclined to think that
Jackson did. We know that Grant
did, and l am sure that Cleveland
did. We owe a great debt to Wash
ington, for II a tl.ird term why not
fourth? And then fro life after
the manner of the Caesars and Crom-
wells of history, and especially the
n-Americans, Bolivar, Rosas and
Diaz.
81 protest that in ascribing third
term ambitions and aims TO Woodrow
Wilson. wrote in no personally hos
tile spirit. but | confess myself, as a
plain. old-fashioned Democrat, an
American citizen, a patriotic man
from way back as affronted. incens-
ed by the presidential 'goings on in
foreign lands.
mo sovereign could carry ii with
a higher hand. No absolute mon
arch could be more royalty puffed up
and feted. II was bound to be so
France 'bled white England all in,
America arrived at the rescue in the
nick of time, was ascribed to Wilson
and only Wilson.
America Waited Too Long.
Truth TO say, We should never /,
have waited so long Instantly af- /
ter the Lusitania We should have run !
up the flag and rushed to the cOlOrs. |
i earnestly urged this | suspect that
|Mr. Wilson and most of our public /
men were looking to the presidential |
election ahead, secretly afraid of the |
German-American vote. We finally |
went in because the politicians
thought they could no longer afford |
to stay out, because it were politically !
dangerous longer to wait. But moth
dereliection of the President in I
quitting his post of duty in the Ma |
tional capitol at such time and HE |
ing to the arena of European activity. |
II could have been planned for none
other than personal exploitation, TO
be converted into political capital
"Mr. Wilson seems one of those
who believe that nothing can be well
done upless IL is done by himself.
II is not an uncommon failing with
energetic men. But, in a case like
this, there can be little. il any. room
to doubt that 1t was, in sense, the
love of display, a congenial as well as
timely assertion of power. the graft
fication Of a certain passion for the
unusual which over reached the presi-
dental judgement, because. taking II
for granted that he is after the third
term, this proceeding will surely de-
feat II unless indeed the country is
headed downward and the sense of
Republican simplicity and Democratic.
principles Is wholly lost from the ma