Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-07-11

the great age upon whose inspira-
ton we draw today. This is surely u
fitting place from which calmly to
look out upon our task that we may
fortify our spirits for its accomplish
ment. And this is the appropriate
place from which to avow. alike to the
friends who look on and to the friends
with whom we have the happiness to
be associated in action, the faith and
purpose with which We act.
The Opposing Forces.
This, then, is our conception of the
great struggle in which we are en-
gagged. The plot is written plain upon
every scene and every act of he SUI
preme tragedy. On the other hand
stand the peoples of the world-not
only the peoples actually engaged. but
many others also who suffer under
mastery, but cannot act: peoples OF
many races and in every part of tho
world-the people of stricken Russia
still. among the rest though they are
for the moment unorganized and help
less. Opposed to them, masters of
many armies. stand an isolated. friend
less group of governments who speak
no common purpose but only selfish
ambitions of their own, by which none
can profit but themselves. and whose
peoples are fuel in their hands; gov
/ ernmentS which fear their people and
yet are for the time their sovereign
lords, making every choice for them
and disposing of their lives and for
tunes as they will. as well as of the
lives and fortunes of every people
who fall under their power-govern-
ments clothed with the strange trap
pings and authority of an age that is
altogether alien and hostile to our own.
The past and the present are in deadly
grapple and the peoples of the world
are being done to death between them.
Settlement Must Be Final.
"There can he but one issue. The
settlement must be final There can
be no compromise. No halfway de-
cision would be tolerable. No half
way decision is conceivable These are
the ends for which the associated peo-
Piles of the world are fighting and
which must be conceded them before
there can be peace
1.-THE destruction of every arbi-
trary power anywhere that can sep
aratefy, secretly and of Its single
choice, disturb the peace of the world !:
or, If 1T can not be presently destroyed,
at the least its reduction to virtual i'm
potence.
"2@The settlement of every question.
whether of territory, of sovereignty,
of economic arrangement, or of pOlit-
ical relationship, upon the basis of the
free acceptance of that settlement by
the people Immediately concerned. and
not upon the basis of the material in
terest or advantage of any other ma
ton or people which may desire n dir
ferent settlement for the sake of its
own exterior influence or mastery.
Consent of the Governed.
"3|The consent of all nations to be
governed in their conduct towards each
other by the same principles of honor
and of respect for the common law of
civilized society that govern the indi-
vidual citizens of all modern states in
their relations with one another; to
the end that all promises and cove
nants may be Sacredly observed, no
private plots or conspiracies Matched,
! no selfish injuries wrought with i'm
punity, and a mutual trust established
upon the handsome foundation of Il
mutual respect for right
1.-The establishment of an organ
ization of peace, which shall make it
certain that the combined power of
the nations Will check every invasion
of right and serve to make peace and
justice the more secure by affording
definite tribunal of opinion. to which
all must submit and by which every
international readjustment that cannot
be amicably< agreed upon by the peo-
pies directly concerned shall be sane
/ toned.
Great Objects Condensed.
These great objects can be put into
a single sentence. What we seek is
/ the reign of law, based upon the con-
sent of the governed and sustained by
! the organized opinion of mankind.
These great ends can not be
achieved by debating and seeking to
reconcile and accommodate what
statesmen may wish, with their prof.
ectS for balances of power and of ma
tional opportunity. They can be real
lied only by the determination of what
the thinking peoples Of the world de-
sire, with their longing hope for JUS
tice and Nor social freedom and OBJ
portunity.
Il can fancy that the air of this
/ place carries the accents of such prin-
ciples with peculiar kindness. Here
were started forces which the great
nation against which they were pri-
marily directed at first regarded as a
revolt against its rightful authority.
but which it has long since seen to
have been II step in the liberation of
Its own people as well as of the peo-
pies of the United States, and | stand
here now TO speak-speak proudly. and
with confident hop-0of the spread of
TINS revolt, this liberation. to the great
stage of the world itself The blinded
rulers of Prussia have reused forces
they knew little of-forces which. once
reused, can never be crushed to earth
again for they have at their heart an
inspiration and purpose which are
deathless and of the very stuff of tri-
umph !"
Civilians Will he Given Cb,,c.