West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-12-09
Ma fION'S SECRET FOES
SHOULD BE CRUSHED.
1rsVest Danger to Country Comes
From Within Our Own Border..

F'oW W'tnin our own Borders.
L have spoken 10 you today, gentle
men, upon single theme, the thor
Ough preparation OF the nation to care
FOR Its own security md 10 make sure
or entire freedom to play the Impair
tlal role In this hemisphere and I'm the
world which we all believe TO have
been ptovidentially assigned to II. I
have had I'm my mind no thought OF
any immediate or particular danger
arising out or our relations with other
nations. We are at peace with all the
nations Of the world. and there IL ren-
son to hope that no question I'm CON
troversy between this and other gov
ernments Will lead to my serious
breach OF amicable relations. grave ma
some differences OF attitude and policy
have been and may yet turn out 10 be.
i am sorry TO say that tho grayest
thrests against our national peace and
safety have been uttered within our
own borders. There are citizens OF the
United States, blush TO admit, born
under other flags, but welcomed under
our generous naturalization laws to the
iuil freedom and opportunity OF Amer
lea, who have poured the poison OF dis
loyalty into the very arteries OF our
national life, who have sought to bring
the authority and good name OF our
government into contempt, TO destroy
our industries wherever they thought
effective for their vlndlctiye pur-
poses To strike at them and to debnse
our politics 10 the uses OF foreign I'm.
trlgue. Their number is not great az
compared with the whole number OF
those sturdy hosts by which our ma
ton has been enriched In recent gen.
erations out OF vlrile foreign stocks.
but 1T Is great enough to have brought
deep disgrace upon us and TO have
made 1t necessary that we should
promptly make use OF processes OF law
by which we may be purged OF their
corrupt distempers.
America never witnessed anything
Ike this before IL never dreamed IL
possible that men sworn into It's own
citizenship, men drawn out OF great
free stocks such as supplied some OF
the best and strongest elements of that
little, but how heroic, nation that I'm a
high day Of old staked It's very life 10
free Itself from every entanglement
that had darkened the fortunes OF the
older nations and set up new stand.
ard here-that men Of such origins ana
such free choices OF allegiance would
ever turn in malign reaction against
the government and people who had
welcomed and nurtured them and seek
TO make this proud country once more
n hOtbcd OF European passion. A IT.
tie while ago such n thing would bnve
seemed incredible Because il was i'm.
credible we mnde no preparation for
IT, We would have been almost
ashamed 10 prepare for a., as n we
were suspicious Of ourselves, our own
comrades and nelghborsl But the uglv
and incredible thing has actually come
about, and we are without adequate
FEDERAL laws 60 deal with g. / urge
you TO enact such laws at the earliest
possible moment aud feel that I'm doing
SO am urging you 10 do nothing less
than save the honor and self respect
OF the nation. Such creatures OF pas
sion, disioyalty and anarchy must be
crushed out. They are not many. but
they are Infinitely malignant, aud the
band or our power should close over
them at once. They have formed plots
10 destroy property, they have entered
into consplracies against the neutrality
or the government, they have sought
10 pry into every confidential trans
action or the government in order TO
serve interests alien 20 our own. II is
possible 60 deal with these things very
ehectualy. I need not suggest the
terms In which they may be dealt with.
wish that II could be said that only
a Few men, misled by mistaken senti-
ments OF allegiance 20 the governments
under which they were born, had been
guilty OF disturbing the self possession
ana misrepreSenting the temper and |
principles OF the country during these |
days Of terrible war, when It would |
seem that every man who was truly an |
American woald instinctlvely make Il |