Wilson Vs Lafollette

In 1917, Woodrow Wilson gave his address during the First World War. In this address, he asked the American people to go to war with Germany and not be neutral in the war anymore, because of the sunken ships caused by the German naval submarines and a want to spread democracy. After the speech was given, it received immense controversy at the time. A few days later, Robert M. Lafollette asked the congressional president for freedom of speech with his “Free Speech In Wartime” saying everyone has the right to free speech in America regardless of position in power or not. Wilson and Lafollette were trying to persuade the American public to hold core American values; however, both had their own idea of said values. Woodrow Wilson, when he gave his speech “War Message,” in 1917, said to the American

Lafollette looks at the American people and the United States in a different way than Wilson, which is why Lafollette is against entering the war as a country. Robert Lafollette discusses his viewpoints on free speech and entering the war in his speech, “Free Speech In Wartime.” Lafollette, as well as some other U.S. Senators, voiced their opinions against entering the war and received lots of hate in return for Wilson’s ideas for entering the war to protect the people and spread democracy. Lafollette's response included some assumptions about the American people and their rights, “Mr. President, our Government, above all others, is founded on the right of the people to freely discuss all matters pertaining to their Government, in war not less than in peace” (Lafollette). Lafollette's answer focuses on the ideas of speech and how the American people have the right to discuss such ideas however they please without receiving backlash in return. Both responses from Wilson as well as Lafollette go hand in