Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-03-15
le It is as follows;
Guided by One Rule.

Il have had but one rule to. guide
my conduct since this unfortunate
conflict in Europe began and some
difficulties closer home began. And
that was whenever conceived Ameri-
can right to exist and 1t was. chal-
lenged upon the part of any country
or nation, TO meet that challenge with
out vacillation or compromise 1t was
immaterial to me whether the parties,
being American citizens, were Aain
upon the sea or in Mexico, whether the
nation responsible for 1t was large or
small. / measured my duty by the fact
that an American citizens life had been
sacrificed and an American right had
been invaded.
II should therefore, had been pre-
mitted to do so, have voted for the
principle that an American citizen has
a right to travel on a merchant ship
armed for defensive purposes. It is a
right which has been established un-
der international law for these 500
years, and in my judgment this is
not the time for the great American
republic TO begin to temporlze and
compromise with reference to those
national rights which have been SO
long established and which every belig-
erent power has at some time In its
history recognized.
If these principles of International
law are made unsound by changed
conditions Of warfare, now is not the
time for us to change them. our pur-
pose in doing so would be misunder-
stood and misconsnued
Hesitation the Greatest Peril.
Indeed. l think there is nothing so
dangerous in great emergencies as
vacillation, nothing SO calculated to
brinf on war as timid policy with ref
crence to national rights We are now
in the midst of an ordeal the most try
ing or our time and perhaps OF all
time, and in my judgment any policy
Of compromise or any timidity in as
sorting our rights, any policy less than
absolutely firm. win lead hastily to
national degradation and from national
degradation to war; for there comes a
time when the American people will |
no longer submit to those things and
will take matters practically in their !
own hands as they did on the occasion |
of the blowing up of the Maine.
81 therefore believe that the proper
thing for the senate OF the United |
States, after full and fair discussion |
and after a presentation of the aues-
ton, the integrity of which could not /
be questioned, was to have gone on |
record to the effect that, at this time |
at least, while we are practically. as
it were, under fire In a. sense, we will 4
neither temporize nor compromise with
that which we had contended for
through this century ard more than a
quarter while We have been a nation.
Il think furthermore it is a valuable
right substantial right, and that It's
surrender would invoke national pres
tige and honor.
''Firmness and decision will more
often prevent war than bring on war.
The opposite policy has time and again
led to a different result from that
which it was anticipated would be the
result. l am one Who believes that 1t
was the firmness, the quick decision.
the positiveness OF jackson in the ,g0's
which prevented civil war II was the
timidity, the compromising attitude, the
OF Buchanan to write theses
on the constitution when he should
have acted which aggravated and
helped to bring on the civil war more
than any other one thing In the sos.
Grey and the cauas of War.
Il believe Furthermore If Sir Edward
Grey had answered positively and defi-
nitely the question OF the president of
the FrGch republic when he asked in
the last days OF July, 1914. what he
would do in case Germany invaded Bel
GUM in all probability this war would
rot have been begun.
But when the president of the
French republic presented the question
to Sir Edward Grey as to what would
be the attitude Of the British Empire.
instead OF answering positively and de-
aisively MS one who knew the right
and was willing to support It. he stat
I'd 70 the president OF the great French
republic that he would have to wait ,,
and see where the interests of the
British government lay. It Is always