The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-03-20
Some Lessons from History
WILLIAM Z. FREELAND
A World Dictator


deemed necessary. It is the prime
fault Of the proposed league thai il
vagueness leaves everything to surmi~r
have had occasion to compare The
preamble Of this proposed league with
that Of our own constitution. II the
thing were purposlY constructed in
such way as to leave it possible iol
a strong man TO dominate the world
and destroy our liberties it could hard
ly have been capable Of more mischief,
This Secretary General will owe no
thing to the people; his appointment
will come from the few men who may
be in the executive council, in fact if
is most probable that he will be the
most iorceiul one OF this body. While
he has no great amount oI delegated
authority, he has power, and authority
is Of small moment il the power exists.
The kaiser had absolutely no authority
in Belgium but after the first fateiul
days Of August 1914 he had power and
the absence Of authority did not pro
tect the liberty Of the oppressed citi'
seus. Let US face facts, it is clear to
any right thinking man that this SecTe-
tary General will become world die
tator if he possesses force. He will
compel the decisions Of the council
and by this means control the power
10 levy armies from US and other ma
tions TO do his will, AT his order we
must admit the armies Of the league to
pass through our territory, must d.
vulge all our military preparations, ex'
pose our resources,
Let US take a case. A lev years a
go Japan created a grave crisis in Cali
iornia by demanding that her children
be admitted to schools with our own
children and that her citizens be per-
mitted 10 own land, Suppose that the
Japanese should conclude TO found a
colony in Taney county and demand
the right to own land. We all know
that a Japanese or Chinese family can
live on yhat an American will consider
insufficient for one person. Their
standard Of living is lar below ours
Now according TO the proposed league
Of nations that Mr.. Wilson demands
we swallow Just as it is without any de-
bate or question, Japan would demand
that We grant her citizens the right TO
settle here, According TO the league
we agree that no matter what the con
tenlion is, that We will leave 1t 10 the
league. We have one vote, Japan has
one and the other votes are in Euro Je
OF in case she appeals TO the body Of
delegates, as she has right to do
under the proposed league, the de-
cision would be in the hands Of petty
and pickering states whose favor could
be had for a price. The decision goes
against US. We must submit, We
have agreed to and besides we have
1T ourselves helpless and can not
fight if we would. Our army and navy
is determined by the league.
Before going further l wish TO say
that am heartily in favor OF an agree
ment between the seli'resrectiDg ma
tious Of the world TO submit disputes
to an international court provided the
questions are not vital 10 our national
life. am not willirg to submit, 10
any court the question Of our right to
debar Chinese coolies from our country
This is for Us TO decide. Nor am !
willing TO submit the Monroe doctrine
10 such a court. Still more l do not
wish this court TO have nebulous exc.
cutive functions as it has in the pro-
posed league, such for instance as its
right 10 make war against whomsoever
it concludes has violated its ambiguous
statutes.
Our fathers when they adopted our
constitution provided very specific safe
guards to prevent the president from
becoming a dictator. They had not
read the history Of The world 10 no
purpose and in their sober common
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