Denver labor bulletin., 1917-08-04

the democratic governments of the
world. We are now about to accept
the gauge of battle with this natural
foe to liberty and shall, if necessary,
spend the whole force of the nation to
check and nullify its pretensions and
its power. We are glad now that We
see the facts with no veil of false
pretense about them, to fight thus for
the ultimate peace of the world and
/ for the liberation of its peoples, the
German peoples included; for the
rights of nations great and small, and
/ the privilege of men everywhere to
choose their way of life and of obe-
dience.
THE world must be made safe for
democracy. Its peace must be planted
upon the tested foundations of polit-
! ical liberty. We have no selfish ends
to serve. We desire no conquest, 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 made
as secure as the faith and the freedom
of nations can make them.
Just because we fight without ran
cor and without selfish object, seeking
nothing for ourselves but what We
shall wish to share with all free peo-
piles, we shall, feel confident, con-
duct our operations as belligerents
with proud punctillio the principles of
right and of fair play we profess to
be fighting for.
1T will be all the easier for us to
conduct ourselves as belligerents in a
high spirit of right and fairness be-
cause we act without animous, not
with enmity towards a people or with
the desire TO bring any injury or dis
advantage upon them, but only in
armed opposition to an irresponsible
government which has thrown aside
all considerations of humanity and of
right and is running amuck.
I'VE are, let me say again, the sin
cere friends of the German people,
and shall desire nothing so much as
the early re-establishment of intimate
relations of mutual advantage between
us, however hard it may be for them
for the time being to believe that this
is spoken from our hearts. We have
borne with their present government
thru all these bitter months because of
that friendship, exercising a patience
and forbearance which would other
wise have been impossible.
I'VE shall happily still have an op-
portunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions toward
the millions of men and women of
German birth and native sympathy
who live among us and share our life,
and we shall be proud to prove it to-
ward all who are in fact loyal to their
neighbors and to the government in
the hour of test They are most of
them as true and loyal Americans as
if they had never known any other
fealty or allegiance They will be
prompt to stand with US in rebuking
and restraining the few who may be
of different mind and purpose. If
there should be disloyalty, it will be
dealt with with firm hand of stern
repression: but, if it lifts its head at
all. it will lift it only here and there
and without countenance except from
lawless and malignant few.
1T is a distressing and oppressive
duty. gentlemen of the congress. which
| have performed in thus addressing
you. There are, it may be, many
months of fiery trial and sacrifice
ahead of us. 1t is a fearful thing to
lead this great, peaceful people into
war, into the most terrible and disas-
trous of all wars, civilization itself
seeming to be in the balance.
"But the right is more precious than
peace. and we shall fight for the things
which we have always carried nearest
right of those who submit to authority
to have n voice in their own govern
ments, for the rights and liberties of
small nations, for n universal domin-
ion Of right by such concert of free