The Elbert County tribune., 1917-11-09


cover and where no enc has the rigat
10 ask questfons. Cunning1y esntrfved
plans Of deception or aggressien, car-
rfea, It nay be from generation to gen
Grafton, ean be worked out and kept
frena the 1iGhf only within the privacy
Of courts or behind the carefully guard
eA condolences Of . narrow and prfvf-
legged class. They are happily fmporsf-
BILE where public opinion commands nnd
insists upon full information concern
tag all the natfon's affair."
steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except By d part
nership of Democratic nations No au-
tocratic government could be trusted
to keep faith within 1t or observe Ii.
covenants. IL must be = league OF
honor, = partnership of opinion- In
triGue would cat Its vitals awayt the
plottings of inner circles who could
plan what they would, and render &C
count to one, would be = corruption
seated At its very heart. Oniy free peo-
pie can hold their purpose and their
honor steady to common end, and
prefer the Interest 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 her best
Mt heart in all vital habits of her
thought, In all the Intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural Instinct, their hsbitual attitude
toward life. The autocracy that CROWN
ed the summit of her political struc-
ture, long II had stood and terrible
was the reality of Its power. wns
not In fact Russian in origin, chnrac-
ter, purpose, nnd now IL hnH been
shaken OF and the great generous Rus
their native majesty and might, to the
forces TINT nre hghting for freedom In
the world, for Justice, and for peace.
Here is ht partner. for league OF
honor.
One of the things that have served
to convince MS that the PrussiRn auto
cracy vvns not and could never be our
friend is that from the very outset of
the present wnr IL has nlled our un-
suspectfng communities, md even our
Offices of government, with spies and
set criminal fntriEues everywhere nfoot
sKainst our national unity of counsel,
our peace within and without, our In
dustries, and our commerce. Indeed IL
In now evident that Its spies were here
even before the wnr began and II is
unhnppiIy not a matter Of conjecture,
but IA fact proven in our courts of JUS
tice, that the intriEues which have
more than once come perflously nenr TO
disturbing the peace and disiocnffng
carried mt the instigntion, with the
support, and even under the personal
directions of Official agents OF the Inn
perisl government accredited to the
government of the United States.
Even In checking these things and
trying to extirpnte them we have
sought to put the most generous inter-
probation possible upon them, because
we knew that their source lay not In
any hostile feeling purpose of the
German people toward us twho were,
no doubt, ignorant of them ms we
ourselves were), but only in the selfish
designs of government that did what
It plensed and told Its people nothing.
But they'hnv played their part In serv-
ing to convince mt last that that
government entertains no real friend
ship for and means to net against
our pence md security mt Its convent
cnce. That II means to stir up enemies
against us at our very doors, the In
tercepted note to the German minister
mt Mexico City f. eloquent evidence.
We are accepting this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
In such "A government, following such
methods, we can never have friend,
and that in the presence of its organ
lied power, alwRys lying in wnit to
accomplish we know mot whnt pur-
pose, there can be assured security
for the democratic governments of the
world. We are now about to accept
the gage OF battle with the natural foe
to liberty. and shall, II necessary spend
the whole force of the nation to check
and nullify Its pretensions and Its pow
er. We are glad now that we sec the
facts with NO veil of false pretense
about them, to nght thus for the ultf-
mate peace of the world and for the
liberation of its peoples, the German
peoples includedy for the rights of mn
tions, great and small, and the privi-
Iege of men everywhere to choose their
way of life and of obedience.
The world must be made safe for
democracy. Its peace must be planted
upon the tested foundations of political
liberty. We have no selfish ends to
serve. We desire no conauests. no
dominion. We seek no indemnities for
ourselves, NO material compensation
for the SACRIFICES we shall freely make.
We are but one of the champions of
the rights of mankind. We shall be
satisfied when those rights have been
made as secure the faith and the
freedom of natione can make them.
Just because we fight without rancor
|sand without selfish object, seeking
nothing for ourselves but what we shall
wish to share with all free people. we
shall. 1 feel confident, conduct our oper-
atoms as belligerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud pune
tilio the principles of right and of fair
play we profess to be fighting for.
have said nothing OF the govern
ments allied VIII. the Imperial gov
ernment of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The eAustro-HunKarinn government hns.
indeed, avowed its unqualified fndorse-
ment and acceptance OF the reckless
and lnwIess submarine warfare, adopt
ed now without disguise by the Imper-
| iuI German government, and 1t has
therefore not been possible for this
government to receive Count Tarnow-
| ski, the ambassador recently accredited
| to this government by the Imperial and
Royal government of Austria Hungaryy
| but that government has not actually
| engaged In warfare against citizens of
| the Upited States on the seas, and
| tnke the liberty, for the present mt
| least, of postponinE n discussion of our