Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-06-28

the great powers with regard to the
/ peace question. But it must be clean
10 every unprejudiced mind that this
influence is owing to the mora,
prestige of its disintercdness in the
case am TO the evidently unselfisn
fairness of its humane spirit and thai
I it would be equally strong did We no.
/ possess a single colony and were our
war aeet no larger than mere coast
guard or a maritime police force.
We are also told that things have
greatly changed and that this re-
public, big as it now is, has outgrown
the principles which governed its
childhood. No doubt in many re.
spects the requirements of the times
have changed, tHt the most essential
parts of our original principles have
not changed. The moral authority or
the ten commandments and the golden
rule stands today as unchanged ana
Interchangeable as the veracity of the
multiplication table,
THE declaration of Independence is
still the code of principles lonstitut.
ing for this republic its reason Tor
being; and Washington farewell ad-
dress is still the wisest counsel ever
put forth by American craftsmanship.
1t was one of cur keenest thinkers,
James Russell lowell. who said that
this republic would endure so long
as it remained true to the principles
of the man who founded it. indeed,
so long as it is true to those prin
ciples, a higher force than armies ana
navies will sustain it. If it becomes
faithIess TO those principles, no array
of physical force can save it. Some
thing else may live in its place, but
it will not be a democratic republic
We frequently hear a catching but
often dangerously deceptive cry:
Our country. right or wrong a
safer and more truly patriotic cry
will Ee: Our country,-when right to
be kept right, when wrong to be put
right
Il must now close. know that the
things l have said are not new. They
claim no originality. They are olo,
but some of them it seems, so easily
forgotten that it requires frequent
repititionto keepthem before the pOpu-
lar mind. | think they deserve, es
pecially at this time, 10 be thought Of
with that intellectual honesty which
shrinks from no logical consequences,
and the cultivation of which is SO
much needed. If II is important that
our soldiers in case of necessity
should shoot straight, ii is double i'm,
portant that our citizens should under
all circumstances think straight, and
that they should give straight utter
ances to straight thoughts. In doina
so let nobody shrink from being called
Pathfinder or an ideallst. What
would this world he without its ideal
lists who look to the sky for their
guiding stars ana blaze ahead the
track OF progress? And must We not
count among our most useful citizens
the conscientious critic and the honest
fault finder who have the courage to
tell bitter truths and thus to counter
act the pOISOH lnSlliI0b III tHt FOpdidi
mind by the sycopnants Of wealth, or
of power. or of the multitude? Faith
full and vigorous self-criticism is one
of the first necessities OF a democracy.
4 believe in democracy-in tne
government of the people, for the
people, and by the people. 1t has its
confusions, its perpleXities, and
failures. and Gisappointments but Il
wiz also command the forces required
10 overcome and right them, so long
as democracy believes in Itself. AS
10 he unwholesome tendencies now
threatening it, We observe already EN-
coura ring symptoms of a healthy re-
action Indeed, we hear the peal o.
the old independence bell again in
its historic place. To make the
success of this salutaTy reaction com
plete and lasting let us hope that the
universities o. America will put forth
their whole educational force. May
the University of Wisconsin, whose
wonderful growth since 1 knew it in
its infancy. is surely proof of its
signal merit, always stanu in their
front rank. ard may its sons never
fail 10 do the highest honor to the
name of their alma mater"