Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-04
ME- American people are about te

ME american people are ABOUT 10
answer a question second in i'm
portance only to that which their
forebears answered in 1860 by the
election of Abraham Lincoln. ihis is
our last word to them on the issues
involved
There come in the life of nations, as
In the lives of individuals. occasions
when character is tested by some pri-
mary question of duty. In such crises
party ties, acquired pre1udices, selnsh
interests, considerations of personal
safety, become impertinences. Such,
in the estimation of The Outlook, is
the present crisis.
The Declaration of Independence af-
hrms that the Creator has endowed all
men with certain unalienable rights;
that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness; that TO Sc
cure these rights governments are in
sututed among men. Is this true? Do
governments exist for this purpose
Are they Just only as they fulfill this
purpose? And, if this fundamental
principle is true, what does it demand
Of the American people to-day?
Some thousands of Americans have
gone to Mexico to make Ii their home.
1t Is not charged against them that
they have violated Mexican laws. re-
sisted Mexican processes of law, or
conspired against such government as
Mexico possesses. Is 1t the duty OF
the American government to protect
their unalicnabie rights to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness?
Thousands of Americans travel every
year upon the ocean. Is ii the duty
of the American government to pro-
tect their unalienable rights of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
upon the ocean. the worlds highway?
Many thousands of immigrants have
come to this country from the Old
World that they might here find their
rights to life, liberty and the pursuit
oil happiness secure. Have they any
interest in the life. liberty and the
pursuit of happiness of their fathers
and brothers. their mothers and sisters
and friends. whom they have left in
the old World, where now those rights
are ruthlessly invaded by war?
Not all the nations are engaged in
this war. Not all the citizens of the
nations engaged are taking part in the
war. Have the citizens of neutral ma
tons, have the noncombatants in the
warning nations, any rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
The founders of this nation dedi-
Gated their lives. their fortunes and
their sacred honor in support of the
declaration that life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness are unalienable
rights. Is there any reason why the
citizens of this nation should have and
should express any interest in or SYM
pathy with those members of other
oeutral nations and those noncom ba
tants in all nations whose unaliena BILE
rights are violated by open. fragrant
and continuous disregard of inter-
national law?
Americas liberty is an inheritance
from the past-pre- -eminently from
England and France. Now that the
rights to life. liberty and the pursuit
of happiness of these nations, our
spiritual ancestors, are assailed, is
there any reason why we, their de-
scendants, should express to them our
interest in their struggle and our
hopes for their success?
In this world war the three great
democracies of Europe = England