Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06
acter to be developed among all the

/ q =. fl
acter to be developed among all the
thousands of men who exercise popular
sovereignty.
| To reach the goal toward which we
are pressing forward the governing
multitude must first acquire knowledge
that comes from universal education,
wisdom that follows practical expert
ence, personal independence and self
respect BETTING men who acknowledge
no superior, self control to replace that
external control which democracy re-
jects respect for law, obedience to the
lawful expressions of the public will,
consideration for the opinions and in
terests of others equally entitled to
voice in the state, loyalty to that alb
spring as that loyalty to personal SOW
ereigns which has SO illumined the
pages of history, subordination of per-
sonal interests to the public good, love
of justice and mercy, of liberty and
order. All these we must seek by
slow and patient effort, and of how
many shortcomings in his own land
and among his own people each one of
us is conscious.
Yet no student of our times can fail
to see that not America alone, but the
whole civilized world, is swinging
away from it's old governmental moor
ings and intrusting the fate of its civ
/ ilization to the capacity of the popular
mass to govern. BY this pathway
mankind is to travel whithersoeyer it
leads. Upon the success of this our
great undertaking the hope of human
ity depends.
Nor can we fail to see that the world
makes substantial progress toward
more perfect popular self government.
l believe it to be true that, viewed
against the background Of conditions a
century, generation, a decade ago,
government in my own country has ad-
! vanced in the intelligent participation
i OF the great mass of the people, in the
fidelity and honesty with which they
are represented, in respect for law, in
obedience to the dictates of sound
morality and in effectiveness and pu-
rity of administration
i Nowhere in the world has this prog
| ress been more marked than in Latin
America. Out of the wrack of Indian
1 fighting and race conflicts and civil
wars strong and stable governments
have arisen. Peaceful succession in
accord with the peoples will has re-
placed the forcible seizure of power
permitted by the peoples Indifference.
4 Loyalty to country, it's peace, it's dig
nifty, it's honor, has risen above parti-
sanship for individual leaders. The
rule of law supersedes the rule of man.
Property is protected, and the fruits of
enterprise are secure. Individual lib
erty is respected. Continuous public
policies are followed. National faith is
held sacred. Progress has not been
equal everywhere, but there has been
progress everywhere. The movement
in the right direction is general. The
fright tendency is not exceptional; 1t is
4 continental. The present affords just
cause for satisfaction; the future is
bright with hope.
j 1t IS not by national isolation that
these results have been accomplished
or that this progress can be continued.
Il No nation can live unto itself alone
4 and continue to live. Each nations
growth is a part of the development
of the race. There may be leaders,
and there may be laggards, but no ma
ton can long continue very far in adj
vance of the general progress of man.
kind, and no nation that is not doomed
to extinction can remain very far be-
hind. 1t is with nations as 1t is with
individual men. Intercourse, associa-
ton, correction of egotism by the in
fiuence of others judgment, broadening
of views by the experience and thought
OF equals, acceptance Of the moral
standards of community the desire
for whose good opinion lends q sane
ton to the rules of right conduct
these are the conditions of growth in
; civilization. A people whose minds
are not open to the lessons of the
worlds progress, whose spirits are not
stirred by the aspirations and the
achievements Of humanity struggling
the world over for liberty and justice,
must be left behind by civilization In
it's steady and beneficent advance.
To promote this mutual interchange
and assistance between the American
republics, engaged in the same great
tasks, inspired by the same purpose
and protesting the same principles, I
understand to be the function of the
American conference now in session.
There is not one of all our countries
that cannot benefit the others. There
is not one that cannot receive benefit
from the others. There is not one that
| will not gain by the prosperity, the
peace, the happiness of all.
! According to your programme, no
! great and impressive single thing is to
be done by you, no political questions
are to be discussed, no controversies
are to be settled, no Judgment is to be
passed upon the conduct Of any state,
but many subjects are to be consider
ed which afford the possibility of re-
moving barriers to intercourse, of as