The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-02-27

world are simple, written in language
that the plainest man can understand
The most wonderful Of all laws, the
very foundation Of them all, the Tel
Commandments, need no one to inter.
pret their meaning. The most won
deriu organic law OF any nation, the
| constitution Of the United States be-
gins with a preamble that we can cas-
ilr grasp. Let us read it again, it may
,: refreshing TO recall the direct sim
plicity Of our fathers who were not toe
proud to fight that we might have lib
erty and freedom.
I'VE, the people Of the United
States, in order to form more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domes-
tic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings OF liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the
United States Of America"
This is simple, direct and eloquent
with honest purpose, There is nothing
to explain, By the way Of contrast let
US read the preamble Of the proposed
League OF Nations, the advertising Of
which has followed so much the meth.
DDS Of the old patent medicine iakir.
! quote from the Kansas City Star OF
Feb. Is.
Covenant Preamble"
In order to promote international
cooperation and to secure international
peace and security by the acceptance
not to resort to war, by prescription OF
open, just and honorable relations be-
tween nations, but the firm establish
mcnt Of the understandings OF interna-
tional law as the actual rule OF conduct
among governments and by the main
tainsnce Of justice and a scrupulous re
spect for all treaty obligationg in the
dealings Of organized peoples with one
another, the powers signatory to this
covenant adopt this constitution Of the
League Of Nations
Ii this is measured in the scale OF
common sense it is nothing more than |
a jargon Of words that may mean any
thing or nothing. We get kind OF a
hazy feeling that there is going to be
a league Of nations to prevent war but
il child had been given dictionary
a pair Of shears and a pot Of paste and
told TO amuse himself by cutting out
words and pasling them on paper we
would have expected a meaningless
jangle but Tor sober men to produce
such is bitter disappointment. 1t Is
such an ambiguous mess that I can
only hope there is somewhere mistake
and yet the text is all the same style.
It speaks Of treaty obligations, honor
able relations etc, These are old, old |
terms. No more solemn treaty can
ever be written than that which made
the neutrality Of Belgium a sacred !
question OF national honor. Yet Ger
many cynically violated that treaty
and plundered, ravaged and murdered
there until our hearts revolt at the tel
ling Of the crimes yet our president
solemply answered the plea OF thought
iul men Of this nation that we offer a
word Of protest by the dictum that Il
was no concern Of ours. No principle |
Of international Law is more firmly es-
.a5lished than that a merchant ship |
must not be sunk without providing for
the safety Of the passengers and crew
vet in open defiance OF that law Ger
many sank the Lusitania and murdered |
a thousand helpless men, women and |
children, more than one hundred Of
whom we're Americans. We quivered |
with Indignation al the outrage and
cried piteously for stern action. Our
president speaking lev days alterward |
with the nation praying for a voice Of
leadership made his famous Too |
proud 10 fight" speech and while not
referring directly to the Lusitania
murder gave US ard the world to
understand that this was what was in
he mind Ap,ayioo apnb har1 haayt.