Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-06-08

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But 1t Is an unspeakably foolish thing to
strive for this betterment BY means 30
destructive that they would leave no So
cial conditions to better. In dealing with
all these social problems, with the init
mate relations of the family, with wealth
IN private use and business use, with la
Dor, with poverty, the one prime neces-
sity Is to remember that. though hard
ness OF heart is great evil, it is no
greater an evil than softness Of head
But In addition to these problems tho
most intimate AMI important of all
which to q larger or less degree affect all
the modern nations somewhat alike. we
Of the great nations that have expanded.
that are now in complicated relations with
one another and with alien races, have
speclal problems and special duties of our
own. You belong to a nation which Dos
sesses the greatest empire upon which tho
sun mas ever shone. I belong to q nation
when Is trying, on a scale hitherto unex-
ampled. to work out the problems Of gov
eminent for, of, and by the people. whiis
at the same time doing the international
outy OF a great power. But there are
certain problems which both Of us have
70 solve, and as to which our standards
should be the same. The Englishman, the
man OF the British isles, in his various
1 nn across the seas. and the Ameri-
can,' both at home and abroad, are
brought into contact with utterly allen
peoples, some with q civilization more an
clent IMAM our own. others still In. or
naVlne out recently arisen FROM the bar
parlsm which our people left behind ages
ago. Inc problems that arise are Of we'll
nigh uncomfortable difficulty. They cannot
be solved by the foolish sentimentality Of
stay-at-nome people. with little patent
recipes. and those cut-and-dried theories
OF the political nursery which have such
limited applicability amid the crash of
elsmental forces. Neither can they be
solved by the raw brutality Of the men
wno, whether at home or on the rough
frontier OF civilization, adopt might a.
the only standard of right in dealing with
otner men. and treat alien races only az
subjects for exploitation,
NO hard and fast rule can be drawn al
applying to all alien races, because they
oiner from one another far more wide
~ than some Of them differ from US. But
tnere are one or two rules which must
not be forgotten. In the long run, there
can be no justification for one race man.
aging or controlling another unless tho
management and control are exercised in
the interest and for the benefit Of that
other race. This is what our peoples
nave IN the main done, and must co1s-
tlnue IN the future in even greater d.
gree to do, in India, Egypt, and the Phil-
lpplnes alike. In the next place, as re-
CARDS every race, everywhere, at home
or abroad, we cannot afford to devinte
from the great rule of righteousness
which bids us treat each man on his
worth as man. He must not be sent1-
mentally favored because he belongs to
given race; he must not be given i'm
munity IN wrong-doing, or permitted to
cumber the ground, or given other privi-
leges which would be denied to the
vicious and unfit among themselves. On
the other hand, where he acts in a way
TYry 1.
reward II he were Of our own stock, he
Is just as much entitled to that respect
and reward If he comes of another
STOCK, even though that other stock pro-
duces much smaller proportion Of men
OF his type than does our own. This has
nothing to do with social intermingling,
with what is called social equality. It
has to do merely with the question of do
ing to each man and each woman that
elementary justice which will permit him
or her to gain from life the reward
which should always accompany thrift,
sobriety, self-control, respect for the
rights of others. and hard and tntel1i-
gent work to a given end. To more than
such Just treatment no man is entitled,
and less than such just treatment no man
should receive.
Duty Of Nation to Nation.
The other type Of duty is the interna-
ton to another. hold that the laws of
morality which should govern individu-
ais IN their dealings one with the other
are Just as binding concerning nations in
their dealings one with the other. The
application Of the moral law must be
diHerent IN the two cases, because in
one case 1t has, and in the other it has
not, the sanction of a civil law with force
behind it. The individual can depend for
his rights upon the courts, which them
selves derive their force from the police
power Of the state. The nation can de-
pend upon nothing Of the kind; and
therefore, as things are now, it is the
highest duty of the most advanced and
freest peoples to keep themselves in such
state OF readiness as to forbid to any
barbar1sm or despotism the hope of ar
resting the progress of the world by stri-
King down the nations that lead in that
progress. 1t would be foolish indeed to
pay heed to the unwise persons who de-
sire disarmament to be begun by tho
very peoples who, of all others, should
not be left helpless before any possible
foe.' But we must reprobate quite as
strongly both the leaders and the peoples
who practise, or encourage or condone,
aggression and iniquity by the strong at
the expense Of the weak. We should toll
crate lawlessness and wickedness neither
by the weak nor by the strong: and both
weak and strong we should in return
treat with scrupulous fairness. The for
e1gn policy Of a great and self-respecting
country should be conducted on exactly
the same plane Of honor, Of insistence
upon ones own rights and Of respect for
the rights OF others, as when a. brave and
honorable man Is dealing with his fell
lows. Permit me to support this state
ment out OF my own experience. For
nearly eight years I was the head Of a
great nation and charged especially with
the conduct Of its foreign policy; and
during those years took no action with
reference to any other people on the face
Of the earth that would not have Felt
justified I'm taking as an Individual in
dealing with other individuals.
believe that we Of the great civilized
nations Of today have right to feel that
long careers Of achievement lie before
our several countries. To each Of us is
vouchsafed the honorable privilege of do
ing his part, however small, in that work.
Let us strive hardly for success, even IL
by SO doing we risk failure spurning
the poorer souls Of small endeavor who
know neither failure nor success. Let US
hope that our own blood shall continue
in the land, that our children and chill
dren's children to endless generations
shall arise to take our places and play
mighty and dominant part in the world.
But whether this be denied or granted by
the years we shall not see, let at least
the satisfaction be ours that we have
carried onward the lighted torch in our
own day and generation. If we do this.
then. as our eyes close. and we go out
into the darkness, and other hands grasp
the torch, at least we can say that our
part has been borne we'll and valiantiy.
OF time. Yes, we are, great God, II
our SageS tell lls the truth the mas.