Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-12-07

and Porto Rico, with recUmmenda tons
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
when there shall prevail throughout
the world the peace Of justice, but
there are kinds of peace which are
highly undesirable, which are in the
long run as destructive as any war.
The goal to set before us as a 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
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
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.
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 degree of in
ternational control over offending ma
lions it would be a wicked thing for
the most civilized powers, for those
with most sense Of international obli-
cations and with keenest and most gen.
erous appreciation of the difference be-
WV tcrhf 70 1icor
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 adj
vanced than at present a nation desir-
Gus both of securing respect for itself
and of doing good to others must have
a force adequate for the work which it
feels is allotted to it as its part of the
general world duty. Therefore 1t 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 SUBJ
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
it should keep prepared. while scrupu-
lously avoiding wrongdoing itself, to
repel any wrong and In exceptional
cases to take action which In q more
advanced stage Of international rela-
tons 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 shall shortly lay before the SEN
ate 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
tons which can be thus arbirated.
Furthermore, ut the request Of the in
terparliamentary union, an eminent
body composed Of practical statesmen
from all countries, have asked the
powers to join with this government
in a second Hague conference, at which
1t 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
lions Of the western hemisphere save
such as are for their welfare. All that
this country desires is to see the neigh
boring countries stable, orderly and