Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-03-10
WARREN SHEAR
JOHN P. MATTSON,
3. Editor and Prop.
Published Every Wednesday.
Suffered in the Post Office at Warren
~ Second Glass Mail Matter.
Omcial paper of Marshall County.

Oncial paper of Marshall County.
In his speech at the Community Sing
and patriotic program on Monday even
ing Julius j. Olson took exception to
the expression, she led us into war;
made with reference. to President Will
son in an editorial in last weeks Sheaf.
The point that the Sheaf wanted to,
make, and which it did make, was that
there ought to be no prejudice against
the candidacy Of Major-G General Leon
ard Wood for president, on account of
his being military man. Many voters
are prejudiced against a military man
for president, fearing that such a man
by reason Of his training and sympa-
thies would be more likely to lead us
into war and foist militarism upon the
country. TO disproye that contention we
pointed to President Wilson, who is not
a military man, and yet we had war.
General Wood is not our first choice for
president is Hiram Warren John
son, Of California, who we regard as
one of. our foremost statesmen-bu we
wanted to set Mr.. Wood right before
the voters, as there had been an attempt
made in democratic circles to discredit
his candidacy because he is military
man. II. '.a...-. ...,sS.Gs
But why object to the expression: He
led us into the war? It is ali express
sion that President Wilson used himself
in his message to congress- calling for
a declaration Of a state sof war. One
paragraph Of said message reads as fol-.
lows: t& -
''It is a distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen Of the congress, which
I have performed in thus addressing
you There are, it may be, many months
of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us.
1t is a fearful thing to lead this great,
peaceful people into war, into the most
terrible and destructive of all wars,
civilizatio itself seeming to hang in
the balance"
President Wilson at that time did not
shirk the responsibility of leading us
into war, but accepted it, reyerently,
solemnly. and with full realizat ton Of
it's grave import. The congress and the
country accepted his leadership and
voted him more money and power than
was ever possessed by a car or a
kaiser IF the war was just, and neces-
sary and unavoidable, no odium can at
tach to; the one who led the country
into it. Some one has said that if Theo-
dore Roosevelt had been president, our
entrance into the war would have been
prevented. Perhaps, and perhaps not.
1T is possible that man OF greater
tirmness, decision, and farsightedness, a
man of action of the Roosevelt type
Z and not. given sosmneh to the writing of
lengthy and sbeaut fi1ll worded ties.
may have aVerf But it lis Idle.
to speculate on that now. We have to
accept the facts as they are. We have
had the war and now it is up to us
to pay for it, to bind up the nations
wounds, allay the feeling Of unrest, re-
move thee uncertainty that prevails in
the business world and restore normal
conditions in the country as rapidly as
possible.
There is much to admire in President
Wilson, But lis characteristic of him
that he must lead and will tolerate no
interference with his leadership. He
discharged Bryan, his secretary of state,
because he was too much of a peace
man, and appointed Lansing. Now he
has discarded Lansing because he had
a mind Of his own and could not follow
the road to peace that the President
had staked out, and he has appointed in
his place "a man named Colby, whose
mind would more willingly go along with
my (his) own. Yes, the president is
very jealous Of his leadership. He even
seems willing that the wheels of gov.
eminent should have stopped entirely
while he was incapacitated by sickness
to discharge his presidential duties But
of late the republicans and many demo
Gratis have begun to question the wis
dom Of his leadership in many things
The Sheaf is not hide-bound parti
a san paper. It has always aimed tt
treat all parties fairly. It can see some
good things and some bad things in al
parties. III the past it has supported
for public office men of different pc
litical beliefs, if, in it's Judgment, they
were good and deserving men. 1t j.
very seldom that in it's columns it dis
cusses politics from a partisan stand
point. But when we are attacked un
Justly and in an uncalled for manner
we will defend ourself, if we see fit t,
do so.
We are in full accord with Mr. Olsol
in his advice to the voters, especial.
the women voters, that they do thei
own thinking on political questions ant
determine each for himself or herself
how they shall vote. He cautioned then
not to take for granted everything tina
was printed in the Minneapolis .Journa
or the Nonpartisan Leader, paper
which he said he did not read nov
THAT is all right, and the Sheaf will ais
include itself, because we certainly ia
vor that every voter should use his rea
son and the best light that God ha
4 given him or her in the exercise Of hi
or her political rights as a free Amer
lean citizen. Yes, and we will go ste
} farther, also, and caution the voter
against accepting as gospel truth all til