The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-12-07

and Porto Rico, with recommendations
for changes in the present system Of
government of the first named. He de-
sires to see delegate from Alaska in
congress.
Foreign Policy.
The steady aim of this nation, as Of
all enlightened nations, should be to
strive to bring ever nearer the day
when there shall prevail throughout
the world the peace of justice, but
there are kinds of peace which are
highly undesirable, which are IL the
long run as destructive as any war.
The goal to set before us as nation,
the goal which should be set before all
mankind, is the attainment of the
peace of justice, of the peace which
comes when each nation is not merely
safeguarded In its own rights, but
scrupulously recognizes and performs
its duty toward others Generally
peace tells for Righteousness, but II
there is conflict between the two then
our fealty is due first to the cause of
righteousness. Unrighteous wars are
common and unrighteous peace is rare,
but both should be Stunned. The
right of freedom and the responsibility
for the exercise of that right cannot be
divorced. One of our great poets has
well and finely said that freedom is not
a gift that tarries long in the hands Of
towards. Neither does it tarry long in
| the hands of those too slothful, too dis
honest or too unintelligent to exercise
| it. The eternal vigilance which is the
| price Of liberty must be exercised
| sometimes to guard against outside
foes, although, of course far more of
! ten to guard against our own selfish or
| thoughtless shortcomings.
1t is our duty to remember that ma
tion has no more right to do injustice
to another nation, strong or weak, than
an individual has to do injustice to an
other individual; that the same moral
law applies in one case as in the other.
But we must also remember that it Is
as much the duty of the nation to
guard its own rights and Its own inter-
ests as it Is the duty Of the individual
so to do Until some method is devised
by which there shall be a degree Of in
ternational control over offending ma
| tions it would be a wicked thing for
the most civilized powers, for those
| with most sense of international obl-
! cations and with keenest and most gen.
erous appreciation Of the difference be-
tween right and wrong, to disarm. II
the great civilized nations Of the pres
ent day should completely disarm, the
result would mean an immediate re-
crudescence of barbarism in one form
or another. Under any circumstances a
sufficient armament would have to be
kept up to serve the purposes of inter-
national police, and until international
| cohesion and the sense Of international
duties and rights are far more ad-
vanced than at present nation deSiD
GUS both of securing respect for itsW
| and of doing good to Others must have
force adequate for the work which it
feels Is allotted to 1t as its part of the
| general world duty. Therefore it fol-
/
lows that self respecting, just and
farseeing nation should on the one
hand endeavor by every means to aid
in the development Of the various
movements which tend to provide sub
| stitutes for war; which tend to render
nations in their actions toward one an
other and indeed toward their own
peoples more responsive to the general
sentiment of humane and civilized
mankind, and, on the other hand, that
1t should keep prepared, while scrupu-
lously avoiding wrongdolng itself, to
repel any wrong and in exceptional
cases to take action which in q more
advanced stage of international reia-
tlons would come under the head OF
the exercise of the international police.
Arbitration Treaties.
We are in every way endeavorlng to
help on, with cordial good WILL every
movement which will tend to bring us
into more friendly relations with the
rest of mankind. In pursuance of this
policy shall shortly lay before the SEN
ate treaties of arbitration with all pow
ers which are willing to enter into these
treaties with u.s. 1t is not possible at
this period of the worlds development
to agree to arbitrate all matters, but
there are many matters Of possible
difference between us and other ma
tions which can be thus arbitrated.
Furthermore, at the request Of the In
terparllamentary union, an eminent
body composed of practical statesmen
from all countries, | have asked the
powers to Join with this government
in d second Hague conference, at which
it is hoped that the work already so
happily begun at The Hague may be
carried some steps further toward
completion. This carries out the de-
sire expressed by the first Hague con-
ference itself.
Western Hemisphere.
1t is not true that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertains
any projects as regards the other ma
tions Of the western hemisphere save
such az nre for their welfare. All that
this country desires is to see the neigh
boring countries stable, orderly and
prosperous. Any country whose people
conduct themselves well can count upon
our hearty friendship If nation
shows that it knows how to act with
reasonable efficiency and decency in So
clal and political matters, if it keeps
order and pays its obligations, 1t need
fear no interference from the United
States. Chronic wrongdolng or an i'm.
potence which results in a general loos-
ening Of the ties Of civilized society
mnY In America. as elsewhere, nltI-