The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-09-20

Chicago, Sept. I4.'n deflnlng inc
attitude of citizens toward the con-
duct of the war and incidentally what
constituted being a traitor, Eilhu
Root said: no
"The declaration Of war between
the United States and Germany COM
pletely changed the relations of all
the inhabitants of the country to the
subject OF peace and war.
Before the declaration everybody
had the right to discuss in private
and in public the question whether
the United States should carry On
war against Germany. Everybody
had right to argue that there was
not sufficient cause for war; that the
consequences of war would be worse
than the consequence of continued
peace; that it would be wiser to sub
nit to the aggressions OF Germany
against American rights; that t
would be wiser to submit to thegag-
gressions of Germany against Ameri-
can rights; that it would be better to
have Germany succeed than to have
the Allies succeed in the great con-
flict.
But the question of peace or war
has now been decided by the Presi.-
dent and Congress, the sole author
tiles which had the right to decide,
the lawful authorities who rested TN
der the duty to decide. The ques-
ton no longer remains open. 1t has
been determined, and the United
States is at war with Germany.
"A nation which declares war and
goes on discussing whether it ought
to have declared war or not is I'M
potent, paralyzed, imbecile and earns
the contempt of mankind and the GER
tainty of hu,niiating defeat and stub
lection to foreign control. A de-
mocracy which cannot accept its own
decisions, made in accordance with
its own laws, but must keep on end
lessly discussing the question already
decided, has failed in the fundament-
al requirements OF self government;
and if the decision is to make war the
failure to exhibit capacity for self
government by action will inevitably
trest4t if,-th loss OF the right of-selt
government
1T is beyond doubt many OF the
protested pacifists, the opponents OF
the war after the war has been Ell
tered upon, the men who are trying
to stir up resistance to the draft, the
men who are melting strikes in the
particular branches of production
which are necessary for the supply OF
arms and ammunitions of war are in
tentionally seeking to aid Germany
and defeat the United States AS
time goes on and the character OF
these acts become more clearly man
fest. all who continue to associate
with them must come under the same
condemnation as traitors to their
country.
This is war of defense. 1t IS
perfectly described in the words OF
the constitution which established
this Nation-'To provide for the
common defense and to secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and
our posterity.' The national defense
demands not merely force, but intel
ligence. By entering this war in
April, the United States availed itself
of the very last opportunity to de-
fend itself against subsection to Ger
man power before it was too late to
defend itself successfully.
, Plainly if the power of the Ger
man government is to continue
America can no longer look for pro-
lection to the law of Nations or the
faith of treaties or the instincts of
humanity or the restraints of modern
civilization. If America had stayed
out of the war and Germany had
won, could we have defended the
Monroe Doctrine? Could we have
maintained our independence?
"The instinct of the American de-
mocracy which led it to act when it
did arose from a long delayed and re-
luctant consciousness, still vague and
half expressed, that this is no ordi-
nary war which the world is raging.
1t is a mighty and all embracing
struggle between two conflicting
principles of human right and human
duty
at is a conflict between the divine
right of kings to govern mankind
through armies and mobiles and the
right of the people of the earth who
toll and endure and aspire to govern
themselves by law, in the freedom OF
individual manhood. 1t is the climax
of the supreme struggle between au-
tocracy and democracy
"No nation can stand aside and be
free from its effects. The two sys-
TENS cannot endure together in the
same world. If autocracy triumphs,
military power, lustful of dominion,
supreme in it's strength, intolerant OF
human rights, holding itself superior
to law, to morals, to faith, to COM
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