The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1904-12-10

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 he
divorced. One of our great poets has
well and finely s:ad that freedom is not
gift that tarries long in the hand, of
towards. Neither does it tarry long in
the hands Of those too slothful, too dis
honest or too unintelligent to exercise
1t. 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 u ma
ton 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.
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 degree Of in
ternational control over offending ma
tions it would be wicked thing for
the most civilized powers, for those
with most sense Of international obll-
cations and with keenest and most gen.
erous appreciation Of the difference be-
tween right and wrong to disarm. If
the great civilized nations of the pres
ent day should completely disarm, the
result would mean an immediate re-
crudescence of barbarlsm 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 fur more ad-
vanced than at present nation desir-
GUS both of securing respect for itself
and Of doing good to others must have
force adequate for the work which it
feels is allotted to it as its part Of the
general world duty. Therefore it fol-
lows that self respecting, just and
farseeing nation should OH the one
hand endeayor by every means to aid
In the development Of the various
movements which tend to provide SUBJ
stitutcs 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
it should keep prepared, while scrupu-
lously avoiding wrongdoing itself, to
repel any wrong and In exceptional
cases to take action which In n more
advanced stage of international rela-
tions would come under the head Of
the exercise Of the international police.
Arbitration Treaties.
We are in every way endeavoring 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 I shall shortly lay before the sen
ute treaties of arbitration with all pow
ers which are willing to enter into these
treaties with us. 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, l have asked the
powers to join with this government
in 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.
Policy Toward other Nations of
Western Hemisphere.
1t Is not true that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertains
any projects as regards the other ma
tons Of the western hemisphere save
such hs arc for they 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 n nation
shows that it knows how to net with
reasonable efficiency and decency in So
cial and political matters, If it keeps
order and pays its obligations, 1t need
fear no interference from the United
States. Chronic wrongdoing or an i'm
potence which results In general loos-
ening of the ties of civilized society
may in America, as elsewhere, ult-
mately require Intervention by some
hemisphere the adherence Of the Unit
ad Stotos to tho Monroe dortrina NAV