Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1920 — THE PRO-GERMAN VOTE [ARTICLE]

THE PRO-GERMAN VOTE

Reports that the political support of the dissatisfied German element in the United States is being sought by means which reflect discredit upon the seekers continue to annoy American citizens. Congressman Britten of Chicago, whose war record is among ,£he most unsavory in either branch of congress, made a bid for the vote of his friends in the Germania Club at Chicago by charging the British government with having contributed funds to an American political party. This is the customary indirect method of appealing to the vote, its advantage being that it also appeals to other hyphenates in this country. Now there comes from the Democratic camp a charge that the disloyal German vote is being showered with German-language pamphlets charging President Wilson with unfairness to Germany during the war. The President’s atitude toward Germany during the war was certainly not friendly, but only a Hun can be persuaded that his attitude was unfair. What he did to Germany was about what the country wished him to do, and exactly what congress ordered him to do. Thus an appeal based upon a war grievance against this country can be regarded as nothing short of agitation for a display of disloyalty at the polls. In the election returns, disloyal votes count as heavily as loyal votes, and at this point in the campaign the party managers are concerned principally with election returns. In their enthusiasm for cold totals; they may easily overstep the bounds of patriotic propriety, and if they do, the people should know about it. There is still enough of the war ideal left in this country to warrant the feeling that an election is better honorably lost than dishonorably won. —Indianapolis News,(Rep.)