The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-10-10
Professor takes Stand
Against Governor Davis
(Contjuled from page u


1.-THE existing covenant to prevent
war is spoken of as President Will
sons idea, but President Wilson in
! his address at Seattle read extracts
Of expressions by Ex-president
Roosevelt and John Hays and
5ther Republicans, expressing views
that have been incorporated in the
| ague covenant and that shows that
the president is not only the origin
ator of the idea Of the league to pre-,
vent war, but that leading Republic
rans of the nation were advocating
such things for years before the out
break of the world war.
"The league in it's present form
is the highest expression OF an ideal.
1t may not be perfect but it is the
most perfect thing that has ever been
drafted to preserve peace. The con-
stitution of the United States, when
| it was offered for adoption met with
a bitter opposition, as the League OF
Nations has encountered in the SEN
ate, and yet for more than 100 years
it has been acknowledged the great
est document in history. Some of
the leading men of America opposed
the adoption of the constitution in
1889 and even Patrick Henry OPP
posed it so bitterly that he said, even
tho twelve and half of the thirteen
American colonies were in favor of
t, he would still oppose it.
1.-THE constitution of the United
States is the highest expression OF
an ideal government, the same as the
covenant of the League of Nations
is the highest expression of an ideal
to prevent war, after other means
of preventing war have been
tried and have proven fail
ure. This league covenant has
been drafted by the worlds
greatest men. 1t was drafted
for the purpose of preventing war
and it goes without saying that if it
is accepted in good faith, and lived
up to, it will prevent war.
''The psychology of the human mind
and human nature is such that con-
fidence begets confidence and nations
accepting the covenant in good faith
aspire confidence in other nations.
confidence begets confidence, love
begets love and faith begets faith
opposition begets opposition and the
surest way to induce war is to pre-
pare for war; the slrest way to pre-
vent war is to follow up peace with
actual disarmament.
When you go into the presence
of an honest man, you know that ne
expects honesty of you and you
would not contemplate a dishonest
act in his presence. Who Is there
that would expect or contemplate dis
honesty or bad faith from any OF the
thirty-two nations named in the
League Of Nations as members OF the
covenant? Take Brazil, Bolivia,
Ecuador, Peru, Patagonia; would
any one expect bad faith on the part
Of the South American republics?
Take Italy, Japan, Roumania, Servia,
Czecho-Slavs and SO on down thru
the list of thirty-two and who is there
that would mistrust any of them?
The thing for us to do is to accept
the proposition in good faith and
proceed to disarm and thereby in
Splf0 IdlIH anu HoHOSty ~ en0A'
when Governor Davis spoke from
this platform a week ago he said
that England with her increased pos
sessions and increased ambitions
would bear watching. Think of it!
The governor Of our state inferr1ng
dishonesty or bad faith in the
British empire. Our governor, q
man who was born under the British
flag, expressing a lack of faith in the
land of his nativity, I am an
American. was born under the
stars and stripes and have no lack
faith in my own country. MY
father and mother were born under
the British flag and came to this
country when they were children, but
they always cherished and honored
the memory Of their homeland.
when Governor Davis spoke from
this platform he used the expression,
What is there. in 1t for us? II we
Join this league what do we get out
Of it?' Think of a man applying
such test to such question! II
he saw somebody beating a child to
death in his presence and he con-
sidered the matter Of Interfering,
would he ask the question, What is
there is in for me?' II he saw q
beautiful woman drowning and call
ing for aid that was within his power
to give. would he hesitate and ask
What do get out Of this If ! help
|her?'
''The United States could not
stand back in the midst Of worlds
confagration, like the recent war,
and ask, What is there in 1t for us?'
1t is .unthinkable that we should
hesitate when we have an opportun-
ity to save the world from distruc-
ton. 1t has been said that Great