The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-12-09

MAR OF every honest voter, Wh9rever porn,
o see that no fraudulent voting II allowed.
hat no fraud in connection with natural
ration is permitted.
Laws Need Revision.
There should be . comprehensive revi- |
lion OF the naturalization laws. The courts |
having power to naturalize should be /
definitely named by national authority: the |
testimony upon which naturalization may |
% conferred should be definitely prescribed: |
publication OF impending naturalization |
applications should be required In advance |
of their hearing In court; the form and |
wording of all certificates issued should be |
inform throughout the country, and the |
courts should be required to make returns |
o the secretary Of state at stated periods
sf all naturalixations conferred.
Not only are the laws relating to
naturalization now defective, but those
to citizenship Of the United
States ought also to be made the subject
OF scientific inquiry with q view to prob
able further legislation By what acts
sxpatrtation may be assumed to have
been accomplished. how long an Amer
lean citizen may reside abroad and re-
ceive the protection Of our passport,
whether any degree Of protection should
be extended to one who has made the
declaration Of intention to become q citi-
zen Of the United States but has not Sc
cured naturalization. are questions Of
and often producing friction between this
government and foreign governments.
Yet upon these questions our laws are
silent I recommend that an examina-
ton be made into the subjects Of citizen
ship. expatriation and protection of
Americans abroad. with a view to ap-
propriate legislation
Protection Of Elections.
The power Of the government to pro-
tect the integrity Of the elections Of its
own oficials Is inherent and has been
recognized and affirmed by repeated
declarations of the supreme court. There
II no enemy OF free government more
dangerous and none SO insidious as the
corruption Of the electorate No one de-
fends or excuses corruption, and 1t would
seem to follow that none would oppose
vigorous measures to eradicate 1t.
recommend the enactment of q law di-
rected against bribery and corruption in
law may be safely left to the wise dis
cretion Of the congress. but It should go
as far as under the constitution it is pos
sible to go. and should include severe
penalties against him who gives or re-
ceives q bribe intended to influence his
act or opinion as an elector: and pro-
visions for the publication not only OF
the expenditures for nominations and
elections of all candidates but also of
all contributions received and expendi-
lures made by political committees
Our Foreign Policy.
In treating OF our foreign policy and Of
the attitude that this great nation should
assume In the world at large. 1t Is alb
solutely necessary TO consider the army
and the navy. and the congrexs, through
which the thought of the nation finds iti
expression. should keep ever vfvidly In
mind the fundamental fact that 1t Is i'm
possible to treat our foreign policy
whether this policy takes shape in thu
effort to secure Justice for others OF
Justice for ourselves. save AZ conditioned
upon the attitude we are willing to TAXI
toward our army. and especially towart
our navy. It II not merely unwise. IL Il
contemplate. for 4 nation. a. for an In
dfvfdual. to use high-sounding languag'
to proclaim Its purposes. or to take posi-
tions which are ridiculous II unsupported
by potential force. and then to refuse t.
provide this force. II there II no inten
ton OF providing and of keeping thu
force necessary to back up q strong at
titude. then II Is far better not to assum,
such an attitude.
Striving for World Peace.
The steady aim of this nation. as Of al
| to bring ever nearer the day when ther
| shall prevail throughout the world tn
peace OF justice. There are kinds o
peace which are highly undesirable
/ which are in the long run a. DESTRUCTIVE
| as any war. Tyrants ana oppressors hav
many times made wilderness an
l called II peace Many times peoples VIII
were slothful timid shortsighted
| who had been snervated by ease or b
luxury. or misled by false teachings
/ have shrunk In unmanly fashion fror
doing duty that was stern and that need
cd seif-sacrince and have sought to hid
from their own minds their shortcon
| ings, their ignoble motives. by callin
| them love OF peace. The peace Of tyran
| nous terror. the peace OF craven veal
ness. the peace Of injustice. all thes
| should be Stunned as we shun unrigh'
eous war. The goal to set before us as
nation, the goal which should be set bs
fore all mankind Is the attainment {
the peace of justice. OF the peace whic
comes when each nation Is not merel
safe-guarded In its own rights, bt
l scrupuiously recognizes and performs II
duty toward others. Generally peace tel
for Righteousness: but II there Ii condis
| between the two. then our fealty II dr
| first to the cause Of righteousness u
/ righteous wars are common. and VI
righteous peace is rare; but both shoul
| be Stunned. The right Of freedom ar
the responsibility for the exercise OF tn,
| right cannot be divorced One of OF
| great poets has well and finely said thi
freedom In not q gift that tarries lor
In the hands of towards Neither do
! II Al
/ slothful, too dishonest or too unintell
| gent to exercise IL. The eternal vigilan,
| which Is the price OF liberty must be e,
/ ercised, sometimes to guard against ou
|, side foes: although of course far mo
often to guard against our own selni
, | or thouEhtless shortcomings
Not Ready for Disarmament.
II these self-evident truths are kept b
|. fore us. and only IL they are 50 kept befo
i hall ri NJ n n
foreign policy In its larger aspects shou
, be- II IL our duty to remember that Q n
) ton has no more right to do injustice
! Il another nation, strong or weak. than
individual has to DO injustice to anoth
. / individual; that the same moral law appli
. / in one case as In the other. But we mu
, | also remember that II is as much the du
! | OF the nation to guard its own rights a
? its own interests n II 10 the duty Of q
. individual 10 to do. Within the nation Z
| Individual has now delegated this rig
to the state. that Is. ~ the representati
| of all the individuals and IL 10 q max
, | of the law that for every wrong there II
: remedy. But In international law we ha
| not advanced by any means as far as Y
have advanced In runicipal law. The
, is as yet no judicial way OF enforcing rig
In international law. when one natl
wrongs another or wrongs many othsl
| there Is no tribunal before which the wron
: doer can be brought. Either IL Is necessa
D | supinely to acquiesce in the wrong, al
. | thus put a premium upon brutality a
/, | aggression, or else II Is necessary for Z
o aggrieved nation valiantly to stand UP
its rights. Until some method is devils
: by which there shall be a degree OF inte
national control over offending natior
a II would be a wicked thing for the me
| civilized powers for those with most sen
4 | of international obligations and with kee
q est and most generous appreciation of {
: difference between right and wrong. to d
. arm II the great civilized nations OF {
. present day should completely disarm. {
= result would mean an immediate recf
o | descence Of barbarism In one form or q
: | other. Under any circumstances a sui
y cient armament would have to be kept
= to serve the purposes Of International !
i lice: and until international cohesion q