New-York tribune., 1909-02-27

contemptuous treatment, bad manners. arro-
CANT and provincial assertion of superiority Is
the chief cause of war to-day.
And in this country Of ours we far from
free from being guilty of all those great causes
Of war. The gentlemen who introduced into the
Legislatures OF California, Montana and NeFaut
the legislation regarding the treatment OF the
japanese in those states doubtless had no con-
ception Of the fact that they were doing TO that
great nation of gentlemen, of soldiers, of schol-
ars and scientists. OF statesmen, a nation worthy
of challenging and receiving the respect, tns
honor and the homage of mankind en- injury oy
insult that would bring on private war IN
any private relation in own country.
Thank Heaven the wiser heads and the
sounder hearts instructed and enlightened upon
the true nature of the proceeding, prevailed ana
overcame the inconsiderate and thoughteSs-
There no two in this room tonight VINO
cannot bring on private war between them
selves by insult without any cause or rea-
son. and it IS SO with the nations, for national
pride. national sensitiveness sense OF national
honor, are more lxeenly alive TO insult than can
be the case with any individual
ALLUsIoN TO PANAMA STORY.
But few days ago a member of the House OF
Representatives. with no other apparent PuI-
pose than to make himself prominent by an at
tack upon an American, charged upon the chleA
magistrate of the little republic OF PahaIlld d
fraudulent conspiracy with regard to a CONTRACT
under negotiation by the government OF tnat
country regarding the forests of Panama. Ali
Panama was instantly alive with just 1ndiEna-
ton. This insult felt all the more keehly
because we with our ninety mll1onS anu Out
ing and irresistible force with lttIe repupll,c
whose sovereignty we are bound, treby bound
in honor to maintain and respect. 49,,
These the things that make Tor MaI, anu anu
II YOU would make for peace you will fToWn
upon them condemn them, ostraciZe ana puIlisis
b- all social penalties the men who are guilty OF
them until il is understood and felt that an m
suit to friendly foreign power is uissIacg ~ -
the insulter upon a level with the crimes @ tia'
we Genounce and for which we 1niiICt uISsi'''N
full punishment by law. -,
Two-thirds of the suspicion. the dlslke' me
distrust, with which our country was resarueu II
by the people of South America. was Iie :
of the arrogant and eontemptuons pedI+lS %
Americans of people of the United STATES ior
those gentle, polite, sensitive lmaglhaliFe' ue
lightful people.
Mr.. Cboate has alluded TO my visit there. to
the generous. magnanimous hospitality ina
they have inherited from their ancestors OF of
Spain and Portugal. open wide the sate"aES
their land and their hearts to message u
courtesy and kindly consideration. NO ques-
tions existed before to be settled, no serious serious
questions have been settled. but the difference
between the feeling. the attitude. OF the people
Of Latin America and our Republic To-Day from
what it was four years ago is the resuIt oi L.,t
conspicuous substitution Of the treatment IltI
one gentleman owes to another for the treat
ment that one blackguard pays to another'
PUBLIC OPINION BIG FACTOR
Now this is the subject for you to deal with
The government cannot reach it. Laws cannot
control It; public opinion public sentiment
must deal with it. and when the public 9pinlon
the people OF each country treat the peoples
Of every other country with that human kind
ness that binds home communities together you
will see an end of war. and not until then BUT
my friends. IT becomes less and less necesS3tfN ~
TO preach peace. We have not reached ldeai
perfection yet; far from it. But the way 20
Judge of c c1nditions in this world is not by com
Daring them with the standard Of ideal perIec~
fion. il is bv comparing the conditions to-day
with the conditions Of the past and noting. not
what we can do to-day Of we note tfat alone
we must be discoura ged; If we note that alone
we must be convinced Of the desperate SeliiSn-
ness the in justice, the cruelty Of mankind; but
if we compare the conditions of to-day with the
conditions of yesterday and the last decade and
the last generation and the last century ana
centuries before no one can fail 70 see that IN
all those qualities Of the human heart which
make the difference between cruel and brutal
war and kindly peace the civilized world IS
steadily and surely advancing day by day.
No one can fail to see that the continuous
and unswerving tendency OF human aeVel9plhei' 9-,
is toward peace and the love Of mankind
Nv friends if all men could feel toward each
other a $ feel toward you tonight. the Peace
Society might well disband.
MR.. TAFT'S ADDRESS.
The President-elect who was the last speaker,
was cheered for two minutes before he could
speak. He said:
The first thing that l want TO say is in an
anolopetic tone as nv mind has been carried
back through my knowledge ana acquaintance
with Elihu Root. that he ought to be President
elect, and l ought TO be prospective member
of his Cabinet. Because knew how to serve
under him
The second remark ] want to make is that 1
could not but think of the story of the old
darIlv which YOU doubtless heard, who was eX-
planning how the tame turkey that he had sold
was full Of shot that were intended for him.
The third is that the distinguished and elo-
quent Governor of New York whose power Of
speech continues 10 grow on me every time
hear him, said something about my being ere
ated for the eXigencies of the hour Now, that
eXigency of the hour is that l should make my
remarks as short as possible, but there is one
two things I want to say about Elihu Root
that l know, because l have served under him,
and 1 have served with him, and the pleasure Of
that association / cannot overstate.N
If there be man with profounder knowledge
of the law. with clearer understanding Of
human nature and OF human justice and with a
greater power of putting himself in the position
OF the man whom he has to advise to his
proper course, than ENhu Root, don [ know
him. The pleasure. the honor. Of having served
the country IN association with Elihu Root and
Theodore Roosevelt Will continue to be the
greatest honor I nave ever enjoyed.
We organized society in the Cabinet There
was Athos and Porthos and D'Artignan and
Aramis. Ny friend was Athos Who DAT
ugnan was leave you 10 guess Porthos l
only have to introduce to you and Aramis / am
not going TO betray, because of his love affairs
with duchesses- But / instance that TO show
the spirit of fellowship that there was in that
company. and Of the willingness Of each man TO
serve under the other his chief. with the
consciousness the part of each that the SER
vice would be loyalty unto death.
Mr.. Reed said. think that a statesman was
a politician that was dead. and I bound to
say that good many who go under the class of
politicians have TO wait until that time arrives.
But from the first of my association with Mr..
Root there was impressed upon me that poise,
that sense OF proportion. that farsightednes5
that ability TO look forward. to anticipate what
would happen in human events with reference to
what ought to he provided in the law. that
makes the statesman.
Now, / know you would not believe to look at
me that / had any professional association with
either the chairman Of the meeting or the guests
OF the evening and vet I pride myself upon the
fact that by some hook or crook. by some good
luck. l dropped into the position of solicitor