Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-16

=
able glories Of Christian civilization.
1t glorities the peasant and king alike.
The schoolmaster is statesman, the
statesman is financier, the financier is
emancipation, the emancipation is the
pacifcator of the world.
Thus is the nation accomplishing
the destiny of democracy. The COM
manding fact of the modern age is the
spread of intelligence. The school
house has conquered ignorance. The
printing press has transformed the
purposes and capacities of man. Edu-
cation has qualified him for a better
existence. The bible has made him a
moralist. Men know that the world is
big enough to support the human fam
lily in peace and comfort. Men know
that the great problem Of peace and
comfort is not yet solved. They know
that it cannot be solved by the saw
agery of war. They know that its So
luton is Obtainable only in conditions
of peace, reason, and practical NOR
atty This state of knowledge is the
GROWING achievement of progress.
The American experiment of self
government has stood the test. The
achievements of the American system
are known of all men and felt through
out the world The United States is
the worlds asylum. Here all races. all
conditions, all creeds are assimilated,
helped, elevated, and men are made
into self-governing men. In America
justice has made its greatest progress,
because it is progress in which all men
have part. That form of government
which affords the fullest opportuni-
ties for happiness and comfort is des-
tined to be the universal form. Such
is the resistless syllogism of progress
War cannot stop its inevitable march
The opinion of all men is more poten-
tial than the opinion of one man. The
best opinion of the best men, by the
force of example and mutually of in
/ terest. becomes the opinion of all men
American opinion is embodied in a man
Of peace. American opinion is march
ing through the world.
when the imperialism Of Europe
cast the iron dice Of destiny, America
! threw the moral dice of destiny Amer
{ lea staked the principles of her justice
There they stand in untarnished in
| tegrity in the gaze of stricken world
| The intelligence of men grasp the
meaning Of America. Her example
will readjust the relations of men
| everywhere. The aspirations of men
are for freedom. Men and women can
and should rule themselves The day
when they rule themselves war will
disappear. The hand of Divinity has
so written 1t in the needs and neCeS-
sites Of humanity made in Its image
' America, prosperous, peaceful
F., blessed, is so because the inscrutablt
purposes of God intended it. The con.
trast between Europe in flames anG
suffering and the United States peace
| tul and prosperous is-the divine con
trast, BY saving the American sys
tenn civilization is saved The peace
of America demonstrates the folly o
war. The principles of democrat!
furnish the means of avoiding and pre-
venting war. 1t will end in world!
1league of peace
The universal intelligence Of mel
DEGREES that the war now devastating
Europe shall be the last war.
Sons of America, keep unsullied thu
sacred shrine of peace, through who's
portals will yet pass arm in arm tn
crowned head and the humble peasan
in silent worship of God.
out of the ruins and sufferings o
the present conflict will arise a TEN
pie OF justice whose dome will be tn
blue vault of heaven; its illuminant
the eternal stars; its pillars the ever
lasting hills; its ornaments the wood
and bountiful fields; its music the rip
ping rills, the song Of birds, tn
laughter of happy childhood; its dia
pason the roar of mills and the hur
or industry; its vOtaries the people
or the earth; its creed, on which hang
all the law and the prophets, Love til
nelghbor as myself Above its altar
in ineffaceable color will live eternal
ly the vision of its Artificer.
Therefore. my fellow countrymeI
not |, but his deeds and achievements
mot |, but the spirit and purposes c
America; not |, but the prayers of jus
men; not |, but civilization itself, non
mates to succeed himself TO the pres
idency of the United States. to tn
presidency of hundred million fire
people. bound in impregnable unioI
the scholar, the statesman, the finan
cier, the emancipation, the pacifiCatol
the moral leader OF democracy, Wood
Irow Wilson"