The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-05

body would be less divergent IL the
American people would come to real
lie that on all sides OF real questions
much may truthfully be said Such
an attitude OF the public mind would
eliminate the view, that this body Ii
distlnctively deliberate and not thor
.oughly patriotic.
Charges of bad faith based upon
an attitude of mind or upon conduct
should never be made until It is clear
ly established that the resultant ac-
ton is, the outcome of personal inter-
est or improper and dishonorable
business or social relations,
What Government rs.
Your action has not always met
with universal approval. but up to
this good hour no workable substitute
for the exercise OF the functions OF
this body has been proposed. It il
not needful for me here and now to
accept a brief in your defense. This
body will continue to stand not be-
cause OF its presiding officer. but be-
cause OF the patriotism and intelli-
gence OF its constituent members and
their devotion to our system of gov
eminent.
ITO my mind, government Is the
harness with which Il people draws
it's load of civilization. II the far-
ness be properly adjusted the load,
though heavy, will be drawn with
ease and no part of the people will be
CALLED. The senate is the binders, in
tended to keep the people from shy
ing at imaginary dangers, and top
pling into the ditch our system of
government. So long as the binders
serve this purpose they are most
valuable part of the harness, but If
they be drawn so closely to the eyes
rs to prevent the seeing of real dam
gers. then they should either be
spread or done away with entirely.
am one of those who think that We
can SO adjust our binders as to meet
new conditions and render US saneiy
responsible to every reasonable de-
mand of the people without disturb
ing any of the checks and balances
of our system OF government and pre-
serving with loyalty and fidelity the
ancient ideals of the republic.
Senate Honor-Bound.
with neither right nor desire to
infringe upon the prerogatives of the
president so soon to be. hey the ex-
preston of the opinion that whatever
diverse views may be held relative
to the work of this body all persons
are agreed that under the constitu-
ton the senate of the United States
is singularly the guardian of the peo-
pies honor; that more and more as
righteousness Is exalted among this
people, the idea is becoming more
firmly fixed that 1t is not vast terri
targ4- great wealth nar large learning
which mark the real status of Amer
lea: that America is to be measured
by the golden mete-wand of honor:
and, as the idea in her formation was
the inherent right of men to rule
themselves. that now she can i'll af-
ford to announce this doctrine in her
own land and renounce IL for an
| instrument of oppression in other
lands
Unfortunately, there is no fixed
standard of honor outside the die
tionary. The gambler may hold ii to
consist in paying his gaming debts;
the member of the smart set, in di-
vorcing his neightbor's wife before
taking her unto himself: the senator.
In eliminating personalities. But
when we enter the chance1leries OF
the world and submit to their judg-
ments not only our right to be. but
our right to be respected, we can hope
to be measured in but one way:
and we must be able to show that
the solemn treaty obligations of this
republic will be kept with the same
scrupulous honesty, both of spirit and
letter, whether made with the hum
biest people of this continent strug-
Cling for self government or with the
mightiest monarch of the old world.
This high sense of honor constitutes
the panoly of the American people.
Armies and battleshlps furnish ma
, substitute for IT. Those are vafua-
Bile, but the people never intended
| that authority should use them as
accessories to a burglars kit.
Peace Is His Hope.
IF any one in the name of this
American people. either in violation
OF treaty obligations or the manifest
purpose of the Monroe doctrine, has
taken aught while this body was de-
liberating, ii is your duty to ascer-
tain all facts thereto. And IL wrong
or injustice has been done, even to
the humblest republic, let this people
be brave enough and sufficiently hon
est to make reparation. The real
greatness OF this republic rests upon
Its unsullied honor, and 1t Is the
duty of this body to search down ru-
mors of bad faith and dishonesty and
rectify wrong wherever wrong is dis
covered.
Here in this most sacred spot
where war has been made and peace
declared. here in the presence of the
distinguished representatives of the
governments of the civilized world,
here, within the hearing of the beauty.
culture and ripened statecraft OF his
own land, may one humble Ameri-
can express the hope before he en-
ters upon fouF-years' sffenco that
all our diplomacy may spell peace
with all peoples, justice for all gov
ernments and Righteousness the world
around"