Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-18
THE ROOSEVELT POLICY,

THE ROOSEVELT POLICY.
The Democratic national committee
will do well to call in their "War Lord"
documents. and the democratic car
toonists will have to think of some.
thing new besides picturing our Presi.
dent as so anxious to declare war with
every nation on the face of the earth,
and even the "big stick" is released
from the closing work of the campaign.
For months no sovereign on the face
of the earth has been doing so much
to bring about universal peace as has
Theodore Roosevelt. This is the testi-
mony particularly Of foreign states.
men, who have visited our shores or
who have had diplomatic relations with
our government. And now, as eli
max, 1t transpires that President
Roosevelt will, at the earliest practical
opportunity, take steps to issue call
for conference of nations to join in
second peace convention at The
Hague. In responding a few days ago
to the delegates of the Interparlia-
mentary union, the President said:
Il greet you with profound pleasure
as representatives, in a special sense, of
the great international movem ent for
peace and good will among the nations
of the earth. 1t is a matter of gratiflca-
ton to all Americans that we have
had the honor of receiving you here as
the nations guests You are men skill
ed In the practical work of govern
ment in your several countries, and
this fact adds weight to your champion
ship OF the cause of International JUS
tice. thank you for your kind allu-
sions to what the government of the
United States has accomplished for the
policies you have at heart, and as
sure you that this governments atti-
tude will continue unchanged in refer
ence thereto. We are even now talk
Ing steps to secure arbitration treat
les with all other governments which
are willing to enter into them with
U.S."
Every man, and especially every man
in high official position, is entitled to
be Judged by his deliberate official ut
terances, not by the forced construc-
ton which his enemies can place upon
distorted and garbled extracts. In his
two messages to the fifty-seventh con-
gress President Roosevelt used these
words:
"The Monroe doctrine is in
no wise intended as hostile to any ma
ton In the old world. Still less Is 1t
intended to give cover to any agrees
sion by one of any other 1t is simply
a step, and long step, toward assur-
ing the universal peace of the world
by securing the possibility of perma-
nent peace on this hemisphere"
THE true end of every great and
free people should be self-respecting
peace, and this nation most earnestly
desires sincere and cordial friendship
with all Others"
More and more the civilized PEG.
pies are realizing the wicked folly of
war and are attaining that condition
OF just and intelligent regard for the
rights of others which will in the end,
as we hope and believe, make world
wide peace possible"
AS civilization grows warfare be-
comes less and less the normal condi-
ton of foreign relations"
Wherever possible arbitration or
come similar method should be en-
ployed In lieu of war to settle diff
culties between civilized nations"
BY mixture of prudence and
frmness with wisdom we think 1t is
possible to do away with much of the
provocation and excuse for war, and
at least in many cases to substitute
some other and more rational method
for the settlement of disputes"
And In his address at Waukesha,
Wis, April 8. 1908, he said:
I'VE want friendship; we want
peace We wish well to the nations
of mankind. We look with Joy at any
prosperity Of theirs; we wish them
success, not failure"
These are not mere fragmentary
and accidental expressions. not excep-
tional outbursts of sentiment, removed
from their connection and at variance
with the general drift of his opinion.
They give the keynote which controls
the harmony of his entire policy,
which he has embodied in deeds as
well as words. What verdict shall
we render, then as to those who have
been guilty of the enormous libel that
represents their author as a man en-.
amored Of strife. who loves war. and
is happy only when he contemplates
the opportunity of embroiling his own
people in conflict and bloodshed? We
do not commend the forger; we refuse
to trust the man who alters the face
OF a note; we count as criminals men
who misrepresent others that they
may deceive the innocent or the unin-
formed for their nun ACKNOWLEDGMENT