The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-06
THE NAN OF VISION.

THE NAN OF VISION.
n. A. Russell. editoriaIly in the
Jacksonville Metropolis. urges the me-
cessity Of a leader with vision; q man
to head the government OF this coun-
try imbued with the equalities OF
Righteousness and fairness.
Such a man the people have had at
the head of this government for the
past two administrations such man
have they noW--and how have they
appreciated his great qualities OF mind
and character2 What have they Of
fered him. In return for the years OF
highest type Of service that any man
has ever rendered to nation?
When he stood straight and strong,
Tending for what was right and just,
when as the head Of this country he
was the representative Of the most
victorious nation the world has ever
known, they acclaimed him as their
leader. And when. broken by long
months OF the most arduous service a
man has ever offered a nation, spent
with a battle too great for any but a
super-man, his strength gave out. and
he lay for months. upon bed OF pain.
how did his country reward himf
No man that the world has ever
produced-not Washington. or Lincoln
not Alexander the Great. nor the little
Corsican. have had such problems to
solve as had he: no country was ever
carried through the turbulent waters
of strife at home and abroad as under
his wise administration.
There can be little question In any
mind but that the breakdown suffered
by President Wilson was largely due
to the bounding Of his enemies. Any,
one who visited WASHINGTON even as
early as 1915 must have been aware OF
the bitterness Of attack that was even
then being waged upon him by the rev
publican party; the petty spite. the
mean animosity which had developed,
and which was being used in an at
tempt to undermine his popularity with
the people.
to hear these things. they were COM
the heavy responsibilities of war, which
We're so well and sanely borne. and
then the arduous days OF reconstruc-
ton, when a republican congress strove
to defeat his every effort towards a
constructive program. Had Wilson
had democratic congress. backing
him there can be no doubt but that
long since the treaty Of peace would
have been signed and the world would
have laid down its arms
Had the United States joinci the
League of Nations, in event OF a war
with Mexico, the other members tf the
league would have been the allies OF
the United States. Today America
stands alone, with a lighted torch in
her hand, ready to set the world
ablaze
Returning from abroad recently Mr..
Fosdick declared that the attitude of
the senate OF the United States IS hold.
ing this nation up to scorn. And there
are those. even in his own partv. who
would seek to make Wilson the scape-
goat for their sins.
What this country needs is indeed
men Of vision. But it needs something
more; it needs more men who are not
afraid to stand for what they know to
be right, against all the powers of
monied interest and political corrnp-
tion; it needs men who think. men
who refuse to follow insane and Bit
ter leadership. for the emoluments
which may come to them for that fol-
lowing. Men who do not put dollars
above honor.
The actions Of the senate Of the
United States during the past year
have cast stigma on this country
which may never be eXpunged, holding
up this country to scorn, and hurting
the world ever nearer and nearer to
the chaos of warfare.
If this country goes to war with
Mexico it will be the logical sequence
of the failure to sign the treaty or to
become one with the League OF Ma
tions. War is just what these mall
contents have been pulling the wires
for; war is what they want. What do
they care about plunging world into
war, so long as they line their lairs
with the spoils?
1t may be that the hour has struck
when we cannot honorably avoid war,
Just as the hour came to France when
she had to make a stand TOR her own.
But had the peace treaty been signed
a year ago, one who has studied the
purposes of the treaty can doubt that
the necessity would not have arisen
either in France or in America for
sending troops into the enemy terri
tory
A man of vision can not lead a peo-
pie to victory and peace when they
refuse to follow that leadership. And
without the vision. the people perish.
!