Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-13
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American Influence For Liberty.

With the world war now definitely
Of the form of democracy against
autocracy, 1t Is not boastful on the part
of Americans to ponder their influence
on the movement. 1t is but review
Of their traditions in rededicating
themselves to the principles on which
this republic was founded. The call to
them today Is to continue the work un-
:. dertaken by the Americans of rs.
Americans, of course. lay no claim to
having invented liberty. The inscrip-
ton on the bell with which they pro-
claimed their liberty to the world,
came to them by Noses and the spirit
| Of It from the creation Of man. PRO
claim liberty throughout the land, I'M
to all the inhabitants thereof" 1t was
In the spirit Of liberty that the peopl-
! ing Of this country began. France
! helped to establish it and recognition
also has to be given to the love of free
| dom brought by English ancestors. Is
. it not one OF the sources OF our pride
, that our one people, made up Of many
| races, represents the highest thought
Of libery Of every land? Men of many
races have been conspicuous in aiding
Americans in carrying out the injunc-
ton on their liberty bell Full recog-
| milton also must be given to the pat
riots who have struggled for freedom
in other lands, and to the splendid
hosts how enduring the heaviest sacri-
fee for new Europe framed wholly in
the spirit of democracy. This done,
Americans have the right to the great
satisfaction that is theirs in the
thought that every war they have
fought has advanced the interests of
liberty and humanity
When did this great world movement
for democracy begin? Who can say,
since the force Of liberty has been
gaining through the centuries. But, in
recent years, has there been any halt
In It's rush-say from the time the
United States helped the Cubans to
freedom in 1898 and put the Filipinos
IN the way OF independence? China,
began freeing itself from the Manchu
dynasty only a few years later. Then
came the overthrow Of the Diaz des-
potism that had held sway In Mexico
for years under the name Of republic
And the dictator who sought to restore
the iron rule of Diaz died a prisoner
Of the United States, whose flag he
had refused to salute, after an affront
to this country. Now comes the over
throw of czarism in Russia and the Ger.
tainty that there will be no autocracies
left when this movement ends.
Who can measure the effect of the
example of this great republic, which,
although there had been attempts at
democratic rule from earliest times,
was referred to by Lincoln in 1868 as
undergoing the test of whether a ma.
ton conceived in liberty and dedicated
to the proposition that all men are ere.
ated equal could long endure? Repub.
lies have replaced monarchies in South
America and everywhere republics
have found something in ours to in
spire them. The task of democratizing
the world, after the overthrow of the
few dynasties now standing in the way,
should not be great The time has
come for It; the people have been, or
are being prepared for It,
What an inspiration for the Amerl-
cans Of 1917 in the thought that they
will have great part In completing on
world basis what the patriots of '7G !
started on national basis.
H. J. Farrell |