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The Commoner
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MARCH, 191?
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t- Tfoiir nr in TBncrland when I wan
Fa?ha streets, when I was in the presence of
lu .i n,tmn T wnn in T?reat halls r whro
n withered together irrespective of-class.
1 t did not feel quite as much at home there as
L ,. hero, but I felt that now, at any rate, after
! u a 1.l nlnrwnA flit ntr mart Ttrnrn
iifi storm ol wui uttu wwiBu i.w , "w. w
I" r eye to eye everywhere and that these
khat the kind of folks at home would u,nder
i .. ,i onri that they wore thinking the same
Hc'el about you as I am reminded of a story
,r( that excellent witness and good artist' Oliver
iuorfnrrl. who one day, siting at luncheon at his
I club, was slapped vigorously on the back by a
min whom lie am not Know very wbu. no buiu,
'"V. ,i 1 . l.... ,r.,9 T.Tn 1nn1n,l nfr
'OllVCr, OKI UUy, HUW U1U UUl 4.AU IUUHUU 11.
him rather COlQiy anu buiu, x uun l iiuuw yuui'
.name, I don't know your face, but your man
ners aro very laminar. Anu i muse say mat
your manners are very familiar and, let me add,
very delightful.
It is a great comrort ror one tiling, to realize
that you all understand the language I am
speaking. A friend of mi e oaid that to talk
through an interpreter was like witnessing the
compound frac'uro of an idea. But the beauty
of it is that, whatever the impediments of the
channel of communication, the idea is the same
that it gets registered, and it gets registered
in responsive ' carts and receptive purposes.
I have come back for a strenuous attempt to
transact business for a little while in America,
but I l'ave roally come back to say. to you, in all
Eoberness and honesty, that I have been trying
my best to speak your thoughts.
When I sample myrelf I' think I find that I
am a typical American, and if I sample deep
enough and get down to whet is probably. the
truo stuff of a man, then I have hope that it is
part of the stuff that is like the other fellow's
I at home.
And, therefore, probing deep in my heart arid
trying to seo the things that aro right without
regard to the things that may be debated- as ex
pedient, I feel that I am interpreting the pur
pose and the thought of America, and in Moving"
America I find I have joined the great majority
of my fellow men throughout the world.
Nearly every one of the republican legisla
tures that wore swqpt into being by the tidal
wave of the 1918 elections is doing its best to
prove the mistaken judgment of the voters by
vastly adding to the biennial appropriations. It
is a queer bent of mind that cannot see in the
fact that the people of the United States have
a tremendously large war debt to carry and pay
off in the near f.uturo a very strong argument
for the reduction of all domestic taxes.
PENNSYLVANIA NO. 45
Pennsylvania completed tha ratification of the
ieueral prohibition amendment on February 25
when the senate passed the measure by 29 to 1G.
The lower houso had previously passed the reso
lution by a vote of 110 to 93. Pennsylvania thus
becomes No. 45 on the Roll of Honor. Only three
states Rhode Island, Connecticut and Now
hibmyhave thus far failed t0 lino up or pro"
"AND THE OAT CAME BACK"
w
President Wilson's New York Speech
(From San Francisco Chronicle.
A New York dispatch, dated March 4, says:
President Wilson told the American peoplo in
an address hore tonight on tho ovo of his return
to Paris that ho was going back to tho peace
conference to battlo with renewed vigor for
creation of a league of nations. "Tho first thing
I am going to tell tho people on tho other sido
of tho water is that an overwhelming majority
of the American people is in favor of tho leaguo
of nations," said the President.
Speaking aft'or former President Taft had ex
pounded tho main features of tho proposed
covenant of nations, Mr. Wilson told tho vast
audience, which filled the Metropolitan opera
house, his opinions of opponents of tho loaguo
in America.
'No party has the right to appropriate this
Issue and no party in tho long run dare opposite
it," he asserted.
The doors were opened shortly after 7 o'clock,
and as fashionably dressed men and women,
with many representatives of tile army, navy
and marines, filed down tho aisles to their seats,
the port of embarkation band played patriotic
airs.
The house presented a dramatic appearance,
with hundreds of men and women in evening
clothes, mingling with others In plain business
dress. American and allied flags draped over
the balconies were the only decorations.
Seats were provided in the front row on tho
platform for President Wilson,' Mr. Taft. Gov
ernor Smith, Frank L. Polk, acting secretary of
state;. Abram I. Elkus, former ambassador to
Turkey; Cleveland H. Dodge and Alfred E. Mar.
ling, president of the Now York chamber of
commerce.
MILITARY APPEARANCE GIVEN
A military appearance was given the meeting
by the presence on the platform of Major Gen
erals David C. Shanks and Thomas Barry, and
thoir staffs, and Vice-Admiral Albert E. Gleavos
and Rear Admiral Nathaniel R. Usher and thoir
staffs. Others on the platform included Joseph
P. Tumulty, secretary to the President; former
Governor Charles H. Whitman, former Ambas
sador Henry Morgenthau and other distin
guished men.
At 8 o'clock hardly a sea', was vacant. At
that hour the audience joined whole-heartedly
In the singing of patriotic and popular songs,
and it was announced o speeches would bo
delivered until the arrival of President Wilson.
Mr. Taft arrived at the Metropolitan about
8:15 o'clock. Immediately afterward Governor
Smith and members of the committee on ar
rangements had taken their places on tho plat
form, a military touch was added by the color
guards of .overseas veterans who marched to tho
center and presented colors.
President Wilson arrived at the opera house
at 8:25 o'clock. He was accompanied by Mrs.
Wilson. The President wens to the cloak room,
where he met Mr. Taft. .'Mrs. Wilson was es
corted to a box in tho first balcony.
PRESIDENT AND TAFT ARM IN ARM
The President and Mr. Taft walked on to the
stage arm in arm. They were applauded for
several minutes. The audience remained stand
ing until the President took his seat.
A wave of cheers went over tho house as tho
President and Mr. Taft took the center of tho
platform. The President stepped forward and
, bowed to all sides of the house. Mr. Taft then
stepped forward and acknowledged tho cheers.
Cleveland H. Dodge called for three cheers for
President Wilson and three more for Mr. Taft.
They were given with a will. Then some one
in the house called for three more cheers for
the President and the audience burst forth Into
another wave of applatfse.
Enrico Caruso, Introduced by Governor Smith,
sang "Tfie Star-Spangled Banner."
Governor Smith opened his speech by paying
a tribute to the part the New York soldiers had
played In the war.
"The war Is not yet won," he said, "and will
not be until tho golden rule Is written into the
International law of the world.
He introduced Mr. Taft as the man "who had
wo?n the purple of the President of the United
estate anrt with grace and honor. x
StAfpresIden Wilson and ex-President Taft
emtrcod from the room where they conferred
an through the thronced wings onto Urn tw,
Mr. Taft said: "I don't know on which hle of
you I should walk, Mr. President."
Ho was on tho left and tho Protidont smiled
and noddod.
Mr. Taft wag groetod with loud handclapping.
A detail of pollco stationed at tho stage en
trance failed to rocognizo Joseph Tumulty, tho
President's secretary, whon tho lattor appaarod
with a dozen members of tho presidential party
for whom goats had been ronervod on tho gtage.
Mr. Tumulty was hold up by several patrol
men who crowdod back tho party. Eventually a
pollco captain who rocognizod him appoarod and
tho party wag permitted to pugg,
Tho Protfldont smiled broadly whon Mr. Taft
referred to tho resolution introduced In tho
senate lagt night by Senator Lodge, propoging
rejection of tho loaguo of nations constitution
as now drawn.
"If tho President Insists, as I hope ho will,"
said Mr. Taft, "that tho leaguo bo Iricorporatod
in tho poaco treaty, and brings it back, then tho
responsibility for postponing peaco is with tho
body that refuges to ratify it."
Referring to tho argument against a leaguo
of nations that participation by tho United
States would bo in opposition to tho principles
laid down by Georgo Washington, Mr. Taft de
clared he boliovod Waghington, If he llvoclv, to
day, would bo "ono of tho most earnegt ones
pressing for tho covenant."
Washington's attack on "entangling alll
ancos," ho said, was an attack on "dofonslvo
and offensive alliances with ono nation against
another."
Mr. Taft onded his speech at 9:15. Governor
Smith then introduced Charles Hackott, tenor,
who sang "America."
The rank and file of tho Amorican people aro
standing firmly behind President Wilson, de
clared Governor Smith in presenting "tho world
leader of today," tho President of the United
States.
The President began speaking at 9:30. Mr.
Wilson was cheered for three minutes, whilo tho
band played "T Won't Como Back 'Till It's Over,
Over There."
"I accept tho Invitation tho band has just
played," said Mr. Wilcon. "I will not como back
'till it's over over there."
The President declared ho was convincod "by
unmistakablo evidences from all parts of tho
country" that tho nation was in favor of tho
leaguo of nations.
"I am more happy becauso this moans this
Is not a party issue," ho said. "This is not a
party issue, and not a party in tho long'rjin
will daro oppose it."
THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH
President Wilson said:
"My Fellow Citizens: "I accept the Intimation
of tho air just played. I will not como back 'till
it's over, over there. And yet I pray to God,
in the interests of peaco and of tho world, that
that may bo soon.
"Tho first thing that I am going to tell tho
people on tho other side of the water Is that
an overwhelming majority of tho American
people are in favor of the league of nations. I
know that that is truo; I have had unmistak
able intimations of It from all parts of tho
country, and the voice rings truo in every case.
I count myself fortunate to speak hero under
tho unusual circumstances of this evening. I am
happy to associate myself with Mr. Taft In this
great cause. Ho has displayed an elevation of
view, of a devotion to public duty which is be
yond praise.
"And I am tho more happy because this
moans that this is not a party issue. No party
has the right to appropriate this Issue, and no
party will in the long run daro oppogo it.
"Wo have listened to so clear and admirable
an exposition or many of the main features of
tho proposed covenant of tho leaguo of nations
that it is perhaps not necessary for mo to dis
cuss In any particular way the contents of tho
document. I will seek rather to give you its
setting. I do not know when I have been more
imprpssed than by the coherence of the com
mission set up by tho conference of peace to
draw up a covenant for the league of nations.
The representatives of fourteen nations sat
around that board. not young men, not men
inexperienced in the affairs of their countries,
not men inexperienced in the politics of the
(Continued on Daco.14,)
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