Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-12-09

the money Is being spent for objects
of which they approve, and that 1t is
being applied with good business
sense and management.
Governments grow, piecemeal, both
in their tasks and in the means by
which those tasks are to be per
formed. and very few governments are
organized, | venture to say, as wise
and experienced business men would
organize them if they had clean
sheet of paper to write upon. Certain
ly the government of the United
States is not. | think that it is gen.
orally agreed that there should be
systematic reorganization and reas-
sembling of it's parts so as to secure
greater efficiency and effect consider,
able savings in expense But the
amount of money saved in that way
would, believe. though no doubt
considerable in itself, running, it may
be. into the millions, be relatively
small-small. ] mean. in proportion to
the total necessary OUTLAWS of the
worth effecting. as every saving would,
great or small.
Our duty is not altered by the scale
of the savings But my point is that
the people of the United States do
not wish to curtail the activities OF
this government; they wish, rather,
to enlarge them: and with every en-
largement. with the mere growth, In.
deed. Of the country itself, there must
come, of course, the inevitable in
crease of expense
The sort Of economy we ought to
practice may be effected and ought to
be effected, by a careful study and
assessment of the tasks to be per
formed; and the money spent ought
TO be made to yield the best possible
returns in efficiency and achievement
And, like good stewards, We should
so account for every dollar of our ap-
preparations as to make it perfectly
evident what it was spent for and in
what way it was spent
1t is not expenditure but extrava-
gance that we should fear being criti-
cized for; not paying for the legiti-
mate enterprises and undertakings OF
great government whose people
command what it should do, but add
ing what will benefit only few or
pouring money out for what need not
have been undertaken at all or might
have been postponed or better ald
more economically conceived and car
ried out The nation is not niggardly
it is very generous. 1t will chide us
only if we forget for whom we pay
money out and whose money it is we
pay.
These are large and general stand
ards, but they are not very difficult OF
application to particular cases.
The National Defense.
The other topic | shall take leave to
mention goes deeper into the princi'
pies of our national life and policy.
1t is the subject of national defense.
1t cannot be discussed without first
answering some very searching ques.
tions.
1t is said in some quarters that we
are not prepared for war. What is
meant by being prepared? Is it meant
that We are not ready upon brief no
tice to put nation in the field. ma
ton of men trained to arms? OF
course we are not ready TO do that;
and we shall never be in time of
peace so long as we retain our pres
ent political principles, and institu-
tons. And what is it that it is sug-
gested We should be prepared to do?
To defend ourselves against attack
We have always found means to do
that, and shall find them whenever it
is necessary without calling our peo-
pie away from their necessary tasks
to render compulsory military service
in times of peace.
Allow me to speak with great plain
ness and directness upon this great
matter and to avow my convictions
with deep earnestness. have tried
to know what America is, what her
people think, what they are, what
they most cherish, and hold dear. ]
hope that some of their finer passions
are In my own heart, some of the
great conceptions and desires which
gave birth to this government and
which have made the voice of this
people a voice of peace and hope and
liberty among the peoples of the
world. and that. speaking my own
thoughts. shall, at least in part,
speak theirs also. however, family and
inadequately. upon this vital matter.
Fear No Nation.
We are at peace with all the world.
No one who speaks counsel based
on fact or drawn from just and
candid Interpretation of realities
can say that there is reason for fear
that from any quarter our indepen
dence or the integrity OF our territory
is threatened Dread of the power
of any other nation we are incapable
of. We are not jealous of rivalry in
the fields Of commerce or OF any other
peaceful achievement. We mean to
live our lives as we viii; but we mean
also to let live. We are, indeed, a
true friend to all the nations of the
world, because we threaten none,
cOyet the DOsseSSiOnS of none desire