Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-24

of stocks that he may add to his
wealth and fill his Golfers witt, gold.
"'Oh, my God, for another Lincoln,
in our city streets to cry,
Up for God and the peoples welfare
stamp your feet on Mammon's lie,
Perish stocks and perish traffic, spin
your cotton's latest pound
But in Heavens name keep your
honor keep the hearts of the peo-
pie sound
Treating this matter from the
standpoint of national ethics, which to
my mind is the better way, our in
quiry will be the general welfare of
humanity. How is it best promoted,
by the success of Russia or Japan?
First and above all other reasons, Rus
STA is Christian nation. Its rulers
and very large percentage of it's peo-
pie believe in the Christian religion
and are members of Christian
churches. And here l feel l might rest
my case. For this audience will certain
ly admit that the general welfare of
humanity is better promoted under
| Christian influences than it would be
under Pagan. But to proceed. 1t
will not do for us to say that we
should oppose Russia because of it's
immense size, beginning as it did with
anarrow strip of land along the Baltic,
it has grown by conquest, if you please,
until it has crossed the continent to
the Pacific-a distance of over 5000
miles, and from the Arctic ocean south
about 5000 miles, contains about one
seventh of the entire surface of the
earth and 150,000,000 of people, all
yielding loyal obedience to one sove-
reign ruler, the czar, at st. Peters
burg. This form of government I am
well aware is by no means popular
with our type of civilization and there
are but few nations of the earth where
such republic as ours would be a
success. To the masses of people in
Europe as it is now constituted the
form of their government interests
them but little. Many of them are
unacquainted with it. Their interest
is in its effect upon their welfare and
happiness and nothing attests their
satisfaction so completely as their pro-
gress, happiness, and general welfare,
which we claim is the prime object of
government. know it is contended
that this aggregation of territory was
obtained by conquest. This is true.
This is the manner in Europe and al
ways has been, and with Russia, Eng
land, Holland and Germany all their
acquisitions have been benefit in ev-
cry way to the people acquired, and
this attests the popularity of
their government. Upon the 9TH
er hand Spain obtained South
America, Mexico, West Indies, and this
portion of our own country west of the
Mississippi, by conquest, but she lost
South America, Mexico and the West
Indies by corrupt government and op-
preston of the people. How did
France obtain Canada? Later on,
how did England get it of France?
How did we get the territory we OBJ
tanned from Mexico? Yes, we bought
it, but we forced them to sell it to us at
our own price and we obtained it not
for the peoples benefit but for the pur-
} pose of extending the most damnable
institution that ever existed in the
: sight Of a just God, brought about very
disgraceful compromises in the admis-
sion of California and ended in the
greatest civil war ever known in his
tory. How did we get the country
|, east of the Mississippi? am not con-
/. demning these things, but simply call
, ing them TO your attention. Conquest
!, has been the means of acquiring terri
, tory from the time that the children
! of Israel obtained the promised land.
The record tells us they had great
army on the banks of the Jordan, they
. sent men to spy out the land; these
men came back and reported it good
ly land, with large cities and towns,
Ev,o 70 ND o,,le,
, and flowing with milk and honey. The
!, Israelites were told to go over and
possess it. They did, and what be-
came of the Canaanites need not be
f told.
! Look at the magnitude of the great
' Roman empire which did so much for
! the liberties of the people. At the
zenith of its glory, under Caesar Au
as England, France, Belgium, Switzer
land, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Tur
) key, Greece, Italy, a portion of Aus
g tria and Russia in Europe, Egypt, AL
S geria, Tunis, Tripoli and Morocco ir
g Africa, Palestine and the larger par
t of Persia, Arabia and Turkey in Asia
d with a population of over 120,00O,OOO
d He succeeded to supreme power abou
+ thirty-five years before the Christian
J. era and reigned fifty years. Rome
: was the most warlike power known tt
history, and historians agree that thu
t. reign Of Caesar Augustus, measured
J. by the extent of it's possessions ant
# population long duration in un
T broken splendor, its intense intellectu
al activity,-and imperishable monu
a ments of genius and learning, stands
). today without parallel. To be Re
:; man citizen during the Augustan age
= was a guarantee of justice and fai
= dealing anywhere. 1t was an appea
- to Caesar that saved the life of Paul
u and it was a great advantage to Chris
\ tianity while in its infancy that sucl
a strong and just government as Rom
It controlled the territory where it frs
had its dawn, for Christ and Paul boil