The Kentucky register. (Richmond, Ky.) 190?-1917, 1917-04-13

>'eI. ~ NJ
can equitably be sustained by he
present generation, by well conceived
taxation.
Would Help Allies.
"In carving out the measures BY
which these things are to be accom-.
plished We should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom Of interfering as
little as possible in our own prepars-
ton and in the equipment of our own
military forces with the duty-for it
will be a very practical duty--of sup.
plying the nations already at war
with Germany with the materials
which they can obtain only from ~
or by orr assistance. They are in tho
field and we should help them in
every way to be effective there.
81 shall take the liberty of suggest
ing, through the several executive de-
partments Of the government for the
consideration Of your committees,
measures for The accomplishment OF
several objects | have mentioned. |
hope that il will be your pleasure to
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch of the government upon when
the responsibility Of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall
"While we do these things, these
deeply momentous things, let us be
very clear, and make very clear to all
the world what our motives and our
objects are. My own thought has not
been driven from its habitual and MOI.
NAL course by the unhappy events OF
the last two months, and do not be-
lieve that though Of the nation has
been altered or clouded by them. |
have exactly the same things in mind
now that ! had in mind when l ad'
dressed the senate on the twenty sec
ond of January last; the same that ]
mad in mind when ! addressed the
congress on the third Of February and
on the 26th of February.
American object.
"Our object now as then, is TO vim
dictate the principle of peace and
Justice in the life of the world as
against the selfish and autocratic
powers and to set up amongst the
really free and self-governed peoples
Of the world such a concert of pur-
pose and of action as will henceforth
ensure the observance of those priI-
ciples
Neutrality is no longer feasible or
desirable where the peace Of the
world is involved and the freedom Of
its peoples, and the menace TO that
peace and freedom lies in the exist.
ence of autocratic governments back
ed by organized force which is con-
trolled wholly by their will, not
by the will of their people. We
nave seen the last OF neutrality in
such circumstances.
I'VE have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to.
wards them, but one Of sympathy and
friendship. 1t was not upon their I'M
pulse that their governments acted
in entering this war. 1t Gyas not with
their previous knowledge or approval
1t was war determined upon as
wars used to be determined upon in
the old, unhappy days when peoples
were nowhere consulted by their rul-
ers and wars were provoked and
waged in the interest OF dynasties or
of little groups of ambitious men wac
we're accustomed to use their fellow
men as pawns and tools. Sefgovern.
ed nations do not fill their neighbor
states with spies or set the course
Of intrigue to bring about some crit
teal posture of affairs which will give
them an opportunity to strike and
make conquest. Such designs can be
successfully worked out only under
cover and where no one has the right
to ask questions. Cunningly contrived
plans Of deception or aggression, car
ried, may be, from generation to gen.
Grafton, can be worked out and kept
from the light only within the privacy
Of courts or behind the carefully
guarded condolences OF a narrow and
privileged class. They are happily
impossible where public opinion com.
mands and insists upon full informa
tion concerning all the nations af-
fairs.
Attacks Autocracy.
"A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by a part
nershlp Of democratic nations. No
autocratic government could be trust.
ed to keep faith within It or observe
its covenants It must be league OF
honor, a partnership of opinion. In
trigue would eat its vitals away; the
plottings of inner circles who could
plan what they would and render &C.
count to no one would be corruption
seated at its very heart. Only free
peoples can hold their purpose and
their honor steady to common end
and prefer the interests 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 ii best
to have been always democratic at
heart, in all the vital habits of her
thought. in all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural instinct. their nabitual att.
tude towards life. The autocracy
that crowned the summit of her pO-
litical structure, long as it had stood
and terrible as was the reality OF its
power, was not in fact Russian in orr
gin, character, or purpose, and II now
has been shaken off and the great,
generous Russian people have been
added in all their naive majesty and
might to the forces that are fighting
for freedom in the world, for justice
and for peace. Hero is a fit partner
for league of honor.
"One OF the things that has served
10 convince us that the Prussian au-
tocracy was not and could not be our
friend is that from the very outset OF
the present war 1t has filled our I'm
suspectng communities and even our
Offices OF government with spies, and