The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-12
saturday, April II, 1919

Sometimes 1 look at the rugged,
homely face of Abraham Lincoln, seri-
GUS, careworn and honest, and wonder
whether sincerity is a lost art among
statesmen. In contrast with some of
the posing, self-satisfied figures Of to-
day, how genuine the deep worn lines
Of Lincoln's countenance look. Tall,
angular, awkward, modest, primitive,
patient, crudely lettered; without
polish, or symmetry, or elegance, or
touch of art; massive, rough-hewn and
huge-like a mountain there the
giant stands! The burden of shackled
humanity rests upon his shoulders.
The gravity of his task stamped a
cast of sadness on his kindly conten-
ance. What face! How honest it
looks! How genuine!
But the great giants of the earth are
gone, like the great beasts of the for
ests. A different species has come.
They pursue different methods. Hon.
esty has yielded to elegance; patience
to parade; gravity to buoyancy; sim
certify to expediency; accomplishment
to experiment. This is an age of
words and phrases"
The League of Nations has come
with it's twenty-six points. And now
the people are supposed to be happy.
But which of the twenty-six points fills
the empty stomachs of American citi-
zens? And let nobody doubt that there
are empty stomachs; and want, and
sQualor, and privation, and wretched-
ness, and lack of employment. While
this great document was being draft
ed, hundred million dollars was or
dered by cable to appease the hunger
and still the unrest in Europe. But
what is there to still the unrest in
America? Is it the police, instead of
bread, that we are to fling at the null
titude?
The Constitution of the League of
Nations is drafted, couched in obscure
and ambiguous language. 1t is an I'M
calmly document, built of obsolete
words, vague expressions, equivocal
clauses, uncertain sentences. It may
mean anything or nothing.
By Article Twenty-Five, all the ira
ditions of America are thrown to the
winds. Washington's Farewell Address
lis abrogated; the Monroe Doctrine is
dead; the admonition of Jefferson.
Madison, and Lincoln is repudiated;
the advice of Cleveland and McKin.
ley is rejected.
BY the Sixteenth Article of this
league Of foreign entanglements the
United States pledges itself to 60 to
war, with it's armed forces" and
financial and economic measures -
whenever ordered to do SO, to beat in.
to subsection any nation that may
quarrel with any other nation on any
part Of the globe. That, together with
Article Seventeen means that when
China shall resist the attempts Of
Japan to enforce her secret, unfair,
destructive treaties upon China the
United States must send her fleets
and armies to the Orient to conquer
China. Article Seventeen forces us to
60 to war every time the Balkan ma
tions fly at each others threats; ev'
cry time that Peru splits in the face
of Chill; every time that the little
Russian states quarrel over their boun
Diary lines. In short It means con
slant danger of endless wars; wars
in which we are in no manner con
cerned.
And what does Article Twenty
mean? BY that article Japan has
pledged herself to endeavor to main
tain fair conditions for labor in the
United States. Fair. conditions 70,
what labor? Fair conditions for Jap
anese labor, for Japan can have ne
interest in any other labor. Does that
mean that American labor is to be
brought down to the level of coolie
labor? In the Japanese mind it must
80 Y~kS