The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-05-20


There is sneh thing ~ a man
being too proud to fight. There
10 such . thing as nation being
- night that it does not need to
convince others by force that it is
right.
But officially the president tol
Germany she must make full repars
ion for the sinking of the Lusitani
ind desist from attacks on non con
notably American citizens.
.Ex-President Taft, in a speech bt
fore the Union league at Philadelphi;
aid:
With the present condition of
the war in Europe, our action, if
it is to be extreme, will not lose
efficiency by giving time to the
people, whose war it will be, to
know what they are facing.
But we must bear in mind that
if we have war it is the people,
the men and women, fathers and
must pay with lives and money
the cost of it, and, therefore, they
- H. 1,o
needed sacrifices until it is clear
that they wish it and know what
they are doing when they wish it.
For this reason every president
with a respect for his oath and
the rule of the people will, in
moments of popular excitement
and just Indignation pointing to
war, act as a brake; will caution
against haste; will hunt for some
escape from the horrors of war
consistent with dignity and patri-
otism, knowing that if no other
alternative exists congress in its
constitutional power, after time
for elaboration has disclosed the
real popular opinion, will act.
A demand for war that cannot
survive the passion of the first
days Of public indignation and
will not endure the test of delay
and deliberation by all the people
is not one that should be yield
ed to.
The task of the president is
heavy one. He is our president
BE is acting for the whole co'n
t,y. He is anxious to find q wy
out of the present difficulty with
out war.
Before party, before ourselves,
We of this league are for our
country. That is what he is work
.nc for. Shall we not stand by
him in it?
He will not surrender our coun-
try's rights. 1t may be necessary
that for a hundred lives and the
method of their taking we should
lose thousands and hundreds of
thousands of lives. The national
honor and interests may ultimate
ly demand it, but time for serious
thought and clearly weighing the
consequences will not prejudice
the justice of our cause or the OPP
portunity to viRdicate it.
Ex-President Roosevelt was partit
llarly caustic in his criticism of tn
PRESIDENT s unofficial declaration. an
n an article to appear in the Jun
magazine he in effec
demands war, saying after review @
}ermany's actions:
In the teeth of these things we
earn as nation measureless
scorn and contempt if we follow
the lead of those who exhalt
peace above Righteousness, if we
heed the voices of those feeble
folk who bleat to high heaven
that there is peace when there is
no peace. For many months our
government has preserved be-
tween right and wrong "neu-
trality'' which would have excited
the emulous admiration of Pom.
thus Pilate-the arch-typical neu-
tral of all time We have urged
as justification for failing to do
our duty in Mexico that to do so
would benefit american dollars.v
Are we now to change faces and
advance the supreme interest of
American dollars" as a justifica-
tlon Tor continuance in the refu-
cal to do the duty imposed on us
IN connection with the world
vars
Unless we act with immediate
decision and vigor we shall have
failed in the duty demanded by
humanity at large, and demanded
even more clearly by the self-re.
cpset Of the American republic. -
Here We have the personal and I'll,
ffieial views of the president and tn,
Jews Of our living ex-presidents