Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05
Presi( Message
CONTINUED from page A.

~ ~ HH' WIN
maj, u will undoubtedly be difficult
as a matter of practical detail 10 shane
an act which shall guard with reason,
able certainty against such miscon.
duct but Ii II is possible to secure
by law the full and verified publica.
ton in detail of all the sums contrib
uted 10 and expended by the. candi,
dates or committees OF any political
parties the result can not but be
wholesome, All contributions by cor
po%rations to any political committee
or for any political purpose should
be forbidden by law; director. should
not be permitted to use stockholders
money for such purposes; and, more.
over. a prohibition of this kind would
De, az Tar as II went, an effective me.
thod OF stopping the evils aimed at In
corrupt practices acts. Not only should
both the national and the severa.
state legislatures forbid any officer G,
q corporation from using the money
OF the corporation In or about any
election, but they should also forbid
such use OF money In connection with
any legislation save by the employ.
ment of counsel In public manner for
distinctly legal services.
The Hague Conference.
The first conference OF nations neld
at The Hague in 1899. being unable
10 dispose OF all the business before
II, recommended the consideration and
settlement Of a number of important
questions by another conference to be
called subsequently and at an early
date. These questions were the fcI
lowing: (D The rights and duties OF
n%eutrals: (2) the limitation of the
armed forces on land and sea, and OF
military budgets; CD the use Of new
types and calibres of military anu
naval guns; ca the inviolability Of
private property at sea In times o.
war; CD the bombardment of ports
cities, and villages by naval forces
In October, 1904. ut the instance Of
the interparliamentary union, which.
at a conference held in the Unite.
States and attended by the lawmak
ers of fifteen different nations, had
reiterated the demand for a second
conference Of nations, | issued invita-.
tons to all the powers Of The Hague
convention to send delegates to such
a conference and suggested that " be
again held at The Hague. In its note
of December 16, 1904, the Unired
States government communicated 70
the representatives of foreign govern
ments it's belief that the conference
could be best arranged under the pro-
visions of the present Hague treaty
From all the powers acceptance was
received, coupled in some cases with
the condition that we should wait
until the end Of the war then wag'ng
between Russia and Japan. T1e en-
peror of Russia. immeditely after the
treaty of peace which SO happily ter
minated this war. in a note preseH ed
to the president on September IL,
through Ambassador Rosen, took he
initiative In recommending that the
conference be now called. The United
States government in response express |
sed its cordial acquiescence. and stat
ed that 1t would, as a matter OF course
take part in the new conference and
endeavor to further its aims. We as.
sumo that all civilized governments |
will support the movement. and that
the conference is now an assured fact.
This government will do everything
in it's power to secure the success 81
the conference 10 the end that su5
stantial progress may be made in The
cause of International peace, justice
and good will. |
This renders 1t proper at this tim
to say something as to the general
attitude of this government toward
peace. More and more wal is coming to
be looked upon as in itself a lamenta-
BILE and evil thing. A wanton or us.
less war. or a war Of mere aggye ssion
in short, any war begun or carried on
in a constituencies spirit. is to lie
condemned as a peculiarly atroc'ous
crime against all humanity. We can,
however, do nothing of permanent
value for peace unless we keep ever
clearly in mind the ethical element
which lies at the root of the problem
Our aim is righteousness. a IS
normally the handmaiden OF righteous
ness; but when peace and righteous
ness conflict then a great and upright
people can never for a moment hest
tate to follow the path which leads
toward righteousness, even though
that path also leads to war. There are
persons who advocate peace at any
price: there are others who. following
a false analogy, think that because II
is no longer necessary in civilized
countries for individuals to protect
their rights with a strong hand, 1t Is
therefore unnecessary for nations to
be ready to defend their rights. These
persons would do irreparable harm to
any nation that adopted their princi-
pies. and even as it IS they seriously
hamper the cause which they advocate
nv tending to render 1t absurd In the
eyes of sensible and patriotic men.
There can be no worse foe of mankind
in general. and o. his own country IN
particular, than the demagOgue OF war.
the man who in mere folly or to serve
his own selfish ends continually rails
at and abuses other nations. who seeks
TO excite his countrymen against for
eigners on insufficient pretexts, VINO
excites and inflames q perverse n
aggressive national vanity, and who
may on occasions wantonly bring on
conflict between his nation and some
other nation. But there are demo
gogues Of peace Just as there are dem
of war, and In any sucn
AAt- For The InUItn ron. i