Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-17


NAMED in the hall outside the commit.
tee room all night for news of the re-
suit of their fight. declared that the
plank was unsatisfactory and they
would carry the contest to the floor
of the convention. Three delegates,
they averred, were ready to take mp
their fight on the floor.
U. s. Loves Peace.
The question OF preparedness was
covered in the platform In these words:
Along with the proof Of our char.
acter as a nation must go the proof
of our power to play the part that
legitimately belongs to us. The people
of the United States love peace. They
respect the rights and covet the
friendship Of all other nations. They
desire neither any additional territory
nor any advantage which can not be
peacefully gained by their skill, their
industry or their enterprise; but they
insist upon having absolute freedom
of national life and policy and feel
that they owe 1t to themselves and
to the role Of spirited independence
which it Is their sole ambition to play
that they should themselves secure
against the hazard Of interference
from any quarter and should be able
to protect their rights upon the seas
or in any part of the world. We,
, therefore. favor the maintenance OF
an army fully adequate to the re-
aurements of order. (of safety and OF
the protection OF the nations rights,
the fullest development of modern
methods of sea coast defense and the
maintenance Of an adequate reserve OF
citizens trained to arms and prepared
to safeguard the people and territory
Of the United States against any dan.
ger of hostile action which may un.
expectedly arise: and fixed policy for
the continuous development Of navy
worthy to support the great naval ira.
ditions of the United States and fully
equal to the international tasks which
the United States hopes and expects
to take a part in performing. The
plans and enactments of the present
congress afford substantial proof OF
Hold to Neutrality.
"The democratic administration has
Throughout the present war scrupu-
lousy held to strict practice of neu-
trality and the peaceful pursuit OF the
legitimate objects Of our national life
which statesmen Of all parties and
creeds have prescribed for themselves
lin America since the beginning of our
history But the circumstances of the
last two years have revealed necessi-
ties of international action which no
former generation can have foreseen.
We hold that II IL the duty of the
United States to use its power, not
only to make itself safe at home but
also to make secure its just interests
throughout the world and, both for
this end and in the interest of human
ity, to assist the world in securing
settled peace and Justice. We believe
that every people has the right to
choose the sovereignty under which
1t shall live; that the small states Of
the world have right to enjoy from
other nations the same respect for
their sovereignty and for their terri.
torial integrity that great and power
full nations expect and insist upon:
and that the world has a right to be
free from every disturbance of its
peace that has its origin In aggression
or disregard of the rights of peoples
and nations: and we believe that the
time has come when 1t is the duty OF
the United States to Join with the 9th.
err natio-s Of the world in any feas-
IDLE .assc 2iaion that will effectively
serve these principles, to maintain in
violate the complete security of the
highway of the seas for the common
and unhindered use of all nations.
Follows Traditions.
THE present administration has con.
sistently sought to act upon and real
lie In its conduct of the foreign affairs
of the nation the principle that should
be the object of any association Of the
nations formed to secure the peace OF
the world and the maintenance of ma
tional and individual rights. 1t has
followed the highest American tradi.
tons. It has preferred respect for the
fundamental rights of smaller states
even to property interests and has Sc
cured the friendship of the people OF
these states for the United States by
refusing to make more material in.
terest an excuse for the assertion OF
our superior power against the dignity
of their sovereign independence. 1t
has regarded the lives of it's citizens
and the claims of humanity as OF
greater moment than material rights
and peace as the best basis for the
just settlement OF commercial claims
1t has made the honor and ideals Of
the United States its standard alike
in negotiation and action"
OTTUJMWANS WILL