Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-21

pie officers. snOald be Of vital inter
4 Isl 10 everyone residing within III.
confines o. the great commonwealth
Of Illinois Delivered at Decatur by
Attorney General Edward J. Brund
age. his topic is timely, inasmuch a:
it deals with one OF the world 5 mos
momentous questions-the enforce
ment of the law.
The Attorney General an avoweC
foe of Bolsheyikism and the possibil
tiles OF its growth in America, says
the only remedy to keep this country
from its inroads is to rigidly and
vigorously enforce all the laws. He
says
My topic might indicate a desire
to go into the technicalities Of the
law and is also broad enough to be
gin with discussion OF the Com
mandments Of Moses, do not how
ever. intend 10 trespass to that eX
tent upon your hospitality instead
| will touch in a hurried and ! am
afraid in a rambling way upon laws
, IN their application not only to IN
tviduals but to nations as well.
Since the beginning OF civilization
men have found ii necessary for thei.
mutual protection to establish CERTAIN
rules for their civil conduct. Suci
rules were generally founded upon
the inherent sense OF justice. Thes.
rules by custom in time became laws
and as civilization or human improy
ment has advanced. so has the max
ne OF law been likewise progressive
The jurisprudence OF ages past i
heir history. The civilization of the
period is indicated by the character
IF its laws.
The trial by the wager of battle
ELECTS the superstition Of the middle
ages which fancied a Divine Provl-
sence insuring the triumph of JUS
ice. or the test by fire of witnesses
the belief that trSth would cause
lands to emerge unsecured from the
tame
Distantly beyond that superstition
&c the heartlessness Of the period
an be gathered from the ruthlessnes;
II the punishment administered.
We become the heirs to system
If Jurisprudence which had Travelled
long journey in its development
The Common Law of England basel
upon the customs of the English PEG
lie, brought TO Us love of liberty
md the knowledge that through laws
|siberty was best insured. The Phi
rim Fathers had scarcely landed or
he bleak shores Of New England
yhen a government was established
nd its form was based upon equa
lights to all That was the basic ides
( every settlement established in tn
wilderness. Ii was in defense of thi,
dea the American Coionists took III
arms against their mother country
nd gained for themselves the RICH
be an independent nation. This
republic has lived longer than any
Genuine Republic or Democracy o.
he past because of a system of wei
ordered liberty. supported by the
gisest instrument of government de
Used by man.
The century and a half of our ma
ional existence is the story of
wonderful progress and a splendid
prosperity made possible by political
equality, equality before the law and
quail opportunity
A test, the greatest since it's in
dependence. now confronts the Amer
can people II is to meet and solv'
she problems involved in the trans
ion from war to peace,-the financial
commercial and social readjustments
Us an outcome Of the war which COS
nore than ten million of lives an
more than two hundred billions o.I
reasure, the crippled and he NAMED.
all Tor new social standards and the
gorld debt whose annual interes
barge is more than ten billions
GEMS impossible Of payment Tht
3Olying OF these prepleXing fnancia
nd economic questions in order {,
assure to the future the blessings VI
rave enjoyed in the past requires tn
most careful thought of American
,tatesmen.
We proclaimed with much elu
iuence. III April. 1917, we were going
nto war to make the world safe for
Democracy, Our battle now is &c
aake Democracy safe for the world
IS deadliest foe is not autocracy, bu'
liberty fren2ied.
Four years ago the broad expans
the Atlantic led many Americans
o believe we were immune from the
effects of the War.-'It was thret
phOusand miles away" said the paci
list. Too MANY Americans today arc
oblivious to the deep men
icing stir of social revolution. so tire
mendously portentous to Europeans.
The Russian Empire is transposed
from a realm of autocratic power &c
a realm Of social ideas which refuse
70 be confined by its BOUNDARIES.