The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-04-06

DeeH uTIVSH ITOIn us HdDlCudl anu HOT-
NAL course by the unhappy events of
the last two months, and do not be-
lieve the thought of the nation has
been altered or clouded by them.
/ have exactly the same things in
mind now that had in mind when
addressed the Senate on the 22d of
January, last; the same that | had in
mind when l addressed Congress on
the Sd of February and on the 26th of
February. Our object now, as then,
is to vindicate the principles of peace
and the justice in the life of the world
as against selfish and autocratic
power, and to set up amongst the
really free and self-governed peoples
of the world such a concert of purpose
and of action as will henceforth in
sure the observance of those princi-
pies.
Neutrality is no longer feasible or
desirable where the peace of the
world is involved and the freedom of
its peoples, and the menace to that
peace and freedom lies in the existence
of autOcratic governments backed by
organized force which is controlled
wholly by their will, not by the will of
their people. We have seen the last
of neutrality in such circumstances.
We are at the beginning of the age
in which it will be insisted that the
same standards of conduct and of re
sponsibility for wrong done shall be
observed among nations and their
Governments that are observed Of
civilized States
indicates German People.
We have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to-
wards them but one of sympathy and
friendship. 1t was not upon their I'M
pulse that their Government acted III
entering this war. 1t was not with
their previous knowledge or approval.
1t was war determined upon as
wars used to be determined on in the
old, unhappy days, when people were
nowhere consulted by their rulers and
wars provoked and waged in the inter
est of dynasties or of little groups Of
ambitious men, who were accustomed
to use their fellow-men as pawns and
tools. ..E
Self-governed nations do not fill
their neighbor States with spies or
set the course of intrigue to bring
about some critical posture of affairs
which will give them an opportunity
to strike and make conquest. Such
designs can be successfully worked
only under cover and where no one
had the right to ask questions.
Must Be Kept in Dark.
Cunningly contrived plans of de-
ception or aggression, carried, it may
be from generation to generation can
be worked out and kept from the
light only within the privacy of courts
or behind the carefdlly-guarded con-
fdences of narrow and privileged
class. They are happily impossible
where public opinion commands and in
sist upon full information CONCERN
ing all the nations affairs. l
A steadfast concert for peace, can
never be maintained except by part
nership of democratic nations. No
autOcratic Government could be trust
ed to keep faith within it or observe
its covenants. II must be a league OF
honor, a partnership of opinion. In
trigue would eat its vitals away; the
plOttings of inner circles who could
plan what they would and render &C.
count to no one would be corruption
seated at its very heart. Only free
peoples can hold their purpose and
their honor steady to common goal
and prefer the interests of mankind
to any narrow interest of their own.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our hope
for the future peace of the world by
the wonderful and heartening things
that have been happening within the
last few weeks in Russia?
Russia was known by those who
knew it best to have been always, IN
fact Democratic at heart, in all the
vital habits of her thought, in all the
intimate relationships of her people
that spoke their natural instinct, their
habitual attitude toward life.
The autocracy that crowned the
summit of her political structure,
long as it had stood and terrible as
was the reality of it's power, was not
in fact Russian in origin, character
or purpose, and now it has been shak-
en- OH, ana the great generous NUS
sian people have been added in all
their naive majesty and might to the
forces that are fighting for freedom
in the world, for justice and for
peace. Here is a fit partner for a
league of honor.
Filled With Spies.
One of the things that has served
to convince us that the Prussian au-
tocracy was not, and could never be
our friend is that from the very out
set of the present war it has filled
our unsuspecting communities and
even our offices of government with
spies and set criminal intrigues ev-
erywhere afoot against our national
unity of council, our peace within and
without, our industries and our COM
merce.
Indeed, it is now evident that it
had spies everywhere even before the
war began; and it is unhappily not a
matter of conjecture, but fact prov
en- by our courts of justice that the in
trigues which have more than once
come perilously near to disturbing the
peace and dislocating the industries
IF fba cnuptrx7 hava haan carriad IN