River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-11-08

cover and where no one has the right
to ask questions. Cunningly cOntrived
plans Of deception or aggression, car
rfed, 1T may be from generation to gen
from the light only within the privacy
Of courts or behind the carefully guard
ed condolences of a narrow and privi-
legged class. They are happily impossi-
BILE where public opinion commands and
insists upon full information concern
ing all the nations affairs.
steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by a part
nership of democratic nations. No au-
tocratic government could be trusted
to keep faith within 1T or observe its
covenants. 1T must be a league of
honor, a partnership of opinion. In
trigue would eat Its vitals away; the
pIOttings of inner circles who could
plan what they would, and render ac-
count to mo- one, would be a cOrpa etfOn
seated at its very heart. Only free peo-
pie can hold their purpose and their
honor steady to a 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
to have been always In fact democratic
at heart In all vital habits of her
thought, In all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural instinct, their habitual attitude
toward life. The autOcracy that crown
ed the summit OF her political struc-
ture, long as 1T had stood and terrible
as was the reality OF it's power, was
not In fact Russian in origin, charac-
ter. or purpose, and now 1T has been
shaken Off and the great generous Rus
sian people have been added, In ell
their native 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.
One of the things that have served
to convince us that the Prussian auto
cracy was not and could never be our
friend is that from the very outset OF
the present war it has filed our un-
suspecting communities and even our
Offices of government, with spies and
set criminal intrigues everywhere afoot
against our national unity Of counsel,
our peace within and without, our In
dustries, and our commerce. Indeed 1T
is now evident that Its spies were here
even before the war began ana III is
unhappiIy not a matter OF conjecture,
but a fact proven I'm our courts OF JUS
tice, that the intrigues which have
more than once come perilously near to
disturbing the peace and dislOcating
the industries of the country, have been
carried ON at the instigatiOn, with the
support, and even under the personal
directions of Official agents of the Inn
periaI government accredited to the
government of the United States.
Even I'm checking these things and
trying to extirpate them we have
%<. <hO inter-
probation possible upon them, because
we knew that their source lay mot In
any hostile feeling or purpose OF the
German people toward us (EhO were,
mo- doubt, as ignorant of them as we
ourselves were), but only In the selfish
designs of a government that did what
1T pleased and told it's people nothing.
But they have played their part I'm serv-
Ing to convince at last that that
government entertatns NO real friend
ship for us and means to act against
our peace and security at its convent
ence. That 1T means to stir up enemies
against us at our very doors, the In
tercepted note to the German minister
at Mexico City is 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 I'm the presence of its organ
ized power, always lying In wait to
accomplish we know not what pur-
pose, there can be mo 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, If necessary, spend
the whole force Of the nation to check
and nullify it's pretensions and its pow
err We are glad now that we see the
facts with mo veil of false pretense
about them, to fight thus for the ulti-
mate peace of the world and for the
liberation of its peoples, the German
peoples included; for the rights of ma
lions, 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
uuon the tested foundations of political
liberty. We have no selfish ends to
serve. We desire no conquests, no
dominion. We seek mo indemntties 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 as the faith and the
freedom of nations can make them.
Just because we fight without rancor
and without selfish object, seeking
nothing for ourselves but what we shall
wish to share with all Tree people, we
shall, I feel confident conduct our oper-
atoms as belligerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud pune
tiIio the principles Of right and of fair
play we profess to be fighting for.
I have said nothing Of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
eminent of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The AustrO-Hungarian government has,
indeed, avOwed it's unqualified tndOrse-
ment and acceptance OF the reckless
and Iawless submarine warfare, adopt
ed now without disguise by the Imper-
iaI 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-Hungary;
but that government hns not actually
engaged In warfare against citizens of
the United States the seas, and
take the liberty, for the present mt
least, OF postpOning discussion of our
relations with the authorities at Vi
emma. We enter this war only where