Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-05-13
Justice For MIR. Wilson.
fst. Louis Post-Dispatch. J

(St Louis -Dispatch.)
The Republican leaders are playing
a harp with single string this year.
That string is denunciation of Wood
row Wilson.
Senator Knox played it in support
of his sham. peace resolutions. Mr..
Patterson played it in the opening
speech of the Republican convention
at Kansas City. The sounds and
echoes of it reverberate In every Re-
publican meeting and the pens of
organ editors harmonic with its
twangs.
Wilson is an autocrat, runs the
chord. He wants nominal war to
continue, in order that he may retaiu
and exercise war time powers. He is
sacrificing the country to satisfy his
own vanity and ambition. He is a
traitor and malign schemer. Will
son, under whose leadership America
made the greatest war achievement
in history and helped to win the world
war, spent his time concocting schemes
of waste and extravaganza. SO it
runs the gamut of all the vices and
faults that human leadership is sub
ject to.
The campaign of discredit is SO per-
sistent and united that it gives the
color of truth to the charge that the
fight on the peace treaty was partisan
conspiracy to discredit, humiliate and
beat Wilson's plans, for partisan and
personal purposes, regardless of the
cost to the country and mankind.
The cost has been heavys
We do not believe the American
people will go far astray under this
malign and malicious leadership. We
believe they will at least do justice to
Mr.. Wilson. Giving him his full
measure of criticism on account of
faults and mistakes, he has tremend-
Gus balance of solid achievement and
fine effort for greater achievement to
his credit. His strength and stub
borness, which are denounced as auto
cracy, were frequently used to serve
the country against the mistakes and
schemes of weaker baser men. Some
of the most valuable and progressive
measures of modern times were pass
ed under his leadership before the
war and contributed greatly to the
winning of the war and the salvation
of the country from panic and weak
ness.
He justified our entrance into war
by keeping out of war until, under
his leadership, the American people
were practical unit for war and ex-
emplified the finest stroke of national
teamwork the world hasknown. Dur
ing the war Mr.. Wilson exercised a
superb moral leadership by defining
our war aims on the highest plane of
righteous struggle for justice and
liberty for the world, as we'll as for
our country. His moral leadership
was an inspiration to the wearied
uO6l5 anu w Jul o"h oRhSANAN
army, and destroying blight to our
foes. 1t nerved the arms of democ-
racy and spiked the guns of imperial
ism. In making peace his influence
was for justice and liberty, and by
sheer personal power and influence
he forced the adoption by the allied
nations of plan to realize the ideal
of permanent peace and cooperation
among nations. He led America to
the height of war achievement and
the pinnacle of glory in the guarantee
of peace. That his leadership failed
to realize at once this cherished
dream of mankind was mainly due to
the bitter partisan opposition which
checked his progress and undermined
his influence.
We recognize Mr.. Wilson's faults
and mistakes, which have hampered
his work and stood in his light and
his path. But let us be just to, him.
The worst that can be said against his
administration has happened since
the hand of affliction was laid on him.
We think he stumbled in his path
when he rejected the best he could
get from the Senate, and thus en-
dangered all of his great work for
peace. But his ideas and the fruits of
his.labor will not be wholly lost. That
he is entitled to respect and gratitude
for what he has done and for what he
has attempted cannot be gainsaid by
any man. History will recognize the
value of his work when the howls of
the hungry pack that snap at his
heels have died away.