Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-19
Y.M.C A. Building, Cor. 10th and Douglas


group Of Americans, of necessity reflects
people could have battled successfully
against the conditions with which the peo-
lie Of the south found themselves face
20 face at the end of the civil war There
had been utter destruction and disaster,
and wholly new business and social prob
ems mad TO be faced with the scantiest
means The economic and political fabric
had to be readiusted In the midst of dire
the broken, war2swept, south seemed be-
yond hope, and II her sons and daughters
mad been. OF weaker hber there would in
men and the sons of the men who had
faced with unfaltering front every alterna-
ton OF good and evil fortune from Manas-
sas to Appomattox, and the women, their
wives and mothers, whose courage and
endurance had reached an even higher
heroic level-these men and these women
set themselves, undauntedly to the great
task before them. For twenty years the
Then the splendid qualities of your man
hood and womanhood told. as they were
bound TO tell, and the wealth of your ex-
traordnary natural resources began TO be
shown. Now the teemine riches of mine
and field and factory attest the prosperity
Of those who are all the stronger because
of the trials and struggles through which
this prosperity. has c0mas. You stand 10y
ally to your traditions and memories; you
also stand Loyalty for our great common
country Of today and for our common flag,
which synlhphzes all that is brightest and
most hopeful for the future of mankind;
you lace NtlG new axe lilt HplIil VI lHb
age. Alike In your material and in your
spiritual and intellectual development you
stand abreast OF the foremost In the
worlds progress.
work that Lies Ahead.
And now, fellow citizens. my fellow
Americans, exactly as all of US. whether
we live In the east or the west, in the
north or the south, have the right merely
deed done BY an American in the past,
and exactly as we are knit together by
this common heritage Of memories, so we
are knit together by the bond of our com
mon duties In the present, our common
interests in the future Many and great
problems lie before US; II we treat the
mighty memories of the past merely as
excuses for sitting lazily down in the pres
ent, or for standing aside from the rough
work of the world, then these memories
will prove curse instead of a blessing.
But II we treat them as believe we shall
treat them, not as excuses for inaction
but as incentives TO make us snow that
th sTs TSs R HsfIs aP the q asS Ss
for they ' sRsf bfdtis fortS Putt a hundred.
fold In the present generation. We of this
wonderful republic, stretching across a con-
tinent between the two greatset oceans
enjoy extraprdinary Sprivieges, and as our
sponsibIiIty is grssf,' I'VE have duties to
perform both abroad and at home, and we
cannot shirk either set OF duties and fully
retain our .seh-resDect,
In foreign affairs We must make up our
minds that whether we wish II or not, we
are a great people and must play a great
part In the world. 1t is not open to us
10 choose whether we will play that great
part or not. We have to play Il; all we
can decide Is whether we shall play II
well or ILL., And have too much confidence
in my countrymen to doubt what the deci-
sion will be. Our mission in the world
should be one of peace, but not the peace
Of cravens, the peace granted contempt
uously TO those who purchase 1t by sur
rendering the right. No! Our voice must
Ne for te fcaA
for righteousness FIRST and for peace only
as the handmaiden Of righteousness. We
must be scru9nlous In respecting the rights
of the weak, and no less careful to make
II evident that we do not act through fear
OF the strong. We must be scrupulous
IN doing justice to others and scrupulous
in exacting justice for ourselves. We must
beware equally OF that sinister and cynical
teaching which would persuade us to dis
regard ethical standards In international
relations, and of the no less hurtful folly
which would stop the whole work of civil
lzation by well meant but silly persis-
tency In trying to apply to people united
for them those theories of government and
of national nGtion which are only suited
for the most advanced races. In particular
we must remember that In undertaking to
build the Panama canal we have neces-
sarily undertaken TO police the seas at
either end Of III and this means that we
have a peculiar interest in the preservation
- order in the coasts and islands OF the
Caribbean. ! firmly believe that by little
wise and generous aid we can help even
coasts and Islands forward along the path
% orderly liberty that they can stand
alone. II we decline to give them such
help the result will be bad both for them
and for us: and will in the end In all prob
ability cause us 20 face humiliation or
bloodshed.
Problems at Home.
The problems that face us abroad are Inn
portant, but the problems that face us at
home are even more important The extra
ordinary growth of industrialism during the
last half century brings every civilized
people face to face with the gravest So
cial and economic questions This is an
age of combination among capitalists and
combination among wage workers. 1t Is
IDLE to try 20 prevent such combinations.
our Efforts should be to see that they
work for the good and not for the harm
OF the body polite. New devices OF law
are necessary from time to time I'm order
to meet the changed and changing condi-
lions. But after all we will do we'll TO
remember that although the problems to
be solved change from generation to gem
rdtion, the spirit in which the solution
ilSt be attempted remains forever the
ne. 10 Is IN peace as II is I'm war Tao
cs change and weapons change. The
ontinental troops In their blue and bun
"ho Fought nnder Washington and Greene
and Wayne, differed entirely IN arms and
m training from those who In blue or gray