Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-12-06

itA independence, must ultimately ' g
alizo that the right OF such indepeni'
enee cannot be separated frm the re- |
sponsibility OF making good use ~ II.
In asserting the Monroe Doctrine.
In taking such steps AZ we have taken
IN regard TO Cuba, Venezuela. aud
Panama, and In endoayos!ug 10 cir
cuIiscribe the theater OF war In iLc
far cast. and 10 g re the open - or
In China, we have acted Ia cur own
interest as well AZ In the interest OF
humanity at large. Ths.,e are. how.
ever, cases In which. while ur cpn
interests are not greatly involved,
strong appeal Is made 10 ,ur sympa.
thies. Ordinarily II IN very ouch
wiser and more useful for us To con.
cern ourselves with striving for Cur
own moral and material be%.terlnent
here at home than TO concern orr.
selves with trying to better the condi.
ton OF things In other nations. We
have plenty OF sins Of our own 10
war against, and under ordinary cir
cumstances we can do more for the
general uplifting Of humanity by striv-
Ing with heart and soul to :"it 4 step
to civic corruption, TO brutal lawlefs.
ness and violent ace %prejudices here
at home than by passing resolutions
about wrongdoing elsewhere. Never
theless there are occasional crimes
committed on 40 vast a scale and OF
such peculiar horror az To maize us
doubt whether II IL not our manifest
duty 10 endeavor Mt least to show our
disapproval Of the deed and our hym-
PATTY with those who have suffered
by Il. The cases must be extreme IN
which such a course Is justifiatle.
There must be no effort made 10 re-
move the mote from our brothers eye
II we refuse to remove the beam from
our own. But In extreme cases &C.
tiOn may be justifiable and proper.
What form the action shall take last
depend upon the circumstances Of the
case; that Is, upon the degree Of the
atrocity and upon our power to rene.
dy Il. The In which We could
interfere by force Of arms as we In.
conditions In Cuba are necessarily
very few. Yet It Is not to be expected
that a people like ours. which In spite
Of certain very obvious shortcomings.
nevertheless as a whole shows by ius
consistent practice its belief In the
principles of civil and religious liberty
and OF orderly freedom. a people
among whom even the worst crime.
like the crime OF lynching. Is never
more than sporadic, 80 that individ.
uals and not classes are molested In
their fundamental rights--it IL inevi-
table that such a nation should desire
eagerly TO give expression to It's hor-
ror ON an occasion like that of the
massacre OF the Jews In Kishenef, or
when II witnesses such systematic
and long.extended cruelty and oppres-
sion AZ the cruelty and oppression Of
which the ArmeniaDs have been the
victims. and which have won for them
the indignant pity of the civilized
world,
Rights Of American Citizens Abroad.
Even where It IL not possible to
secure In other nations the observance
Of the principles which we accept as
automatic. II Is necessary for us firm
ly to insist upon the rights OF our cit
izens without regard to their creed
or race; without regard To whether
they were born here or born abroad.
II has proved very difficult to secure
from Russia the right OF our Jewish
fellow.citizens to receive passports
and travel through Russian territory,
Such conduct la not only unjust and
irritating toward MS. but IT. Is difficult
10 sec It's wisdom from Russia's stand
point. Ne conceivable good Ia &C.
eomplished by IL, II an American
jew or an American Christian mis-,
behaves himself In Russia he can at
once be driven out. but the ordinary
American Jew, like the ordinary
American Christian would behave
Just about as he behaves here, that Is,
behave as any good citizen ought To
behave. aud where this Is the case It
Is d wrong against which we are en-.
titled Is protest to refuse him his
passport without regard % his con
duet and character meraiy on racial
aRd r~elisiaNa eyn6nda IN Turkey or
I difficulties arise eoB from shp Way IA
In which our citizens are sometimes
treated than from the Indignation in.
4 eyitably excited In seeing such fearful
misfule as has been Witnessed both in
Armenia and Macedonia,
The Navy,
The strong arm OF the government
IN enforcing respect for It's just rights
in International matters Is the navy of
the United States. most earnestly
recommend that there be no halt In
the work of ~upbuilding the American
navy. There IL no mure patriotic duty
before us as a people than To keep the
navy adequate to the needs OF this
country's position. We have under.
taken to build the lsthmian canal, We
have undertaken TO secure for our.
selves our just share In the trade OF
the Orient. We have undertaken ia
protect u citizens from improper
treatment In foreign lands. We con.
tinue steadily to insist on the applica-
tion of the Monroe Doctrine to the
western hemisphere. Unless our atti,
tude In these and all similar matters
Ia to be a mere boastful sham We can,
not afford tn abandon M naval pro
gram. Our voice IL now potent for
peace. and In 70 potent because we
are not afraid Of war. But our protes.
tations upon behalf OF peace would
neither receive nor deserve the slight
est attention II We were impotent / o
make them good,
u. .Ilt