The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-10-22
Philadelphia Record


nif1centl landscape. A broad green val
ley, rich with the bounty of Nature,
/ stretches away before him. Through
it purls crystals stream. A lofty
mountain, clad with stately pines, rears
its head in the distance, bathed in
golden sunlight. Does the fowl see
these glories of Gods handiwork? No:
his perspective does not embrace them.
His attention is concentrated upon
a dung-hill.
Those who want to save america
from wisconsin will tell us that the
President is cold, reserved, self-opin-
donated, egotistical, autocratic. With
out inquiring into the truth of these
indictments, let US analyze wisconsin
and see what it has done to the coun-
try. It's opponents do not dwell upon
concrete facts. 1t may help the seeker
after truth-if such there be in the
partisan mob which has constituted
itself into lynching party-to cata-
logue few:
1t was wisconsin that promised
justly to revise a tariff enacted for
the enrichment of intrenched special
lnterest-a tariff that a Republican
President denounced as iniquitous
even while he was singing it-and
did it.
wisconsin destroyed discreditable
banking system under which panics
were artifically created for the benefit
OF special interest, and replaced it
with system which Wall street can
not manipulate for the purpose of I'M
dermining public credit.
1t was wisconsin that devised and
submitted to the States a system of
taxation which distributed tie burden
not in proportion TO the power OF
wealth and influence to dodge it, but
in proportion to ability to bear it, as
gagged by income, the only practical
measure of just taxable capacity
wisconsin gave to the worker the
Anti-Injunction law, the eigft-hour
day. the act for the safety of railway
employees, the Workmen's Compensa-
tion act and the Seamen's law.
Wisconsin gave to the farmer the
Good Roads act, the Rural Credits
act, the Warehouse act. the Grain
Grades act. the act to prevent gamb-
ling in farm products and the Agri.
cultural Extension act.
Wisconsin submitted to the States
the constitutional amendment which
enables the voters to select their
United States Senators: abolished
bossism in the House of Representa-
tives. and passed the Clayton act to
curb the power of the Trusts.
wisconsin kept the United States
out of the world war until it became
clearly apparent that the issue drawn
was between barbarism and civiliza-
ton, and that without our help civil
lization must perish wisconsin kept
US out of war until the conscience of
The nation was aroused and the peo-
pie were ready for the sacrifice.
1t was wisconsin that gave con-
crete expression to the purpose of the
war: wisconsin that framed in words
the thought in every patriots heart;
wisconsin that supplied the moral
stamina which keyed America up to
the point of tremendous and unparal-
leled achievement; wisconsin that
aroused the weary, staggering world
&c fresh effort, lifted Europe from the
abyss of dismay and despair, and spur
red democracy on to victory.
II was wisconsin that prevented
America from resorting to the futile
expedient of raising a voluteer army
Differed by incompetent politicians.
and compelled reluctant traders and
tricksters to adopt principles of fair
ness and efficiency through the Sc
lective Service act 1t was wisconsin
that built 80 encampments, each to
house 10000 men in 90 days. Wilson
ism raised in a peace-loving country
100000 armed men, and transport
. ed 100000 OF them across the ocean
In an incredibly brief period to roll
back the German hordes.
Wisconsin raised $4,000, 00O, 900
for the prosecution OF the war, and
expended $4,000 100000 of it (the
remainder being lent to the Allies)
with such scrupulous honesty that af.
ter devoting 100000 of public money
20 futile investigation partisan snoop-
! ing committees were unable to unearth