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Show Hi I THE MORRIS ADDRESS B The masterly address of Hon. Nephi K j L. Morris on the Fourth of July was both 7 ' f educative and pleasing. It was educative Bj : in that he showed that our" American H ' History in the matter of our relations H ( with England had been mis-written, or Hj ' we have mis-read it. He read from ' H j j "Dramatic Moments in American Diplo- H ii macy," bV Page, a work highly recom- fll H mendetj by the late Col. Roosevelt prov- H I' ing that our differences were not with H j the English people, but with a tyranical Hj 1 1 king, and at the same time showing that j ( at that time there were in England men H )j of chaarcter and backbone who dare to B H stand up and speak for the right This Hj ' phase of the address was a revelation to B j many and was greatly enjoyed. B ' The most pleasing feature of his ad- Bf dress was his handling of the League of Bv s , Nations. After listening to the propag w B 11 da handed to us by Miss Tarbel and Priv- B I ate Peat, after befng told that unless Am- B ! erica did thus and so America is doomed, B U it was a genuine treat to listen to Mr. B I Morris, and notwithstanding the fact that B I he is for the League of Nations, and i B 1 1 thinks Anierica should accept and adopt B v it, 'yet" he has faith In America, and if B America should reject it America will not B go to the damnation bow wows. B Mr. Moris believed in the principle of B the League of Nations, he wanted it for B I the purpose of repressing and abolishing B wars, as far as it is possible to do so, and B jk hoped America would be one of its sign- B V ers. He felt, however, that it should be the B " h most perfect document that human brain B could write, and did not feel to critic-ze B those who had criticized the document. B In fact he rather rejoiced that America B was not made up of spineless creatures B H who dare not speak. He deprecated the B fact that it was not offered for criticism B r and said "from the time President Wil- B r son arrived with the first draft it should B have been criticized." Time has vindi- B cated this great mistake of the President, B asithe changes that huve been made clear- H .'I ly testify. He felt that it should be fur th- B jj er amended if necessary, and like the gen- B h" uine, broadminded, tolerant citizen thai. H . n he is he preached that imperishable doc B d trine "in a multitude o"f council there is B , wisdom." m Mr. Morris went further perhaps than H f a great many of our citizens are willing B .i to go. In an outspoken truthful way he m j declared that it meant a surrender of our m j sovereignty and declared that "surren- B der of sovereignty is absolutely necessary K l when the right to declare war is placed m in the hands of an executive council." j "That's what it means," said lie. "Arc j you ready to do it? I am. Because the H , j whole process of civilization is a surren-B surren-B ' I der, and we can trust England and m a France." He then went on to explain B : H that in thus surrendering he felt like it B was simply exercising his sovereignty and m not surrendering it in the harsh meaning H of the world and in the hope that it would H I bring about a "Federation of the World" M I that would make war so unpopular, while 1 i it may not prevent war, he was hopeful f that the League of Natipns be made a Rp reality, 1 It is on the last point that some of Mr. j ' Morris' fellow citizens will halt. Some of ' his fellow citizens still cling to the warn- 1 , fi ing of Washington "against the mischiefs m ' j of foreign intrigues,, to 'guard against l the impostures of pretended patriotism." m Some are old fashioned enough to believe B i I in Grover Cleveland's warning of "Peace, H1 ' commerce, and honest friendship with all H f l f nations: entangling alliances with none." X'J And some are wondering what W,oodrow Wilson meant when on Feb. 1, 1916, he declared: "There are actually men in Am-V erica who are preaching war, who are preaching the duty of the United States to do what it never would before, seek entanglement in the controversies which have arise on the other side of the water abandon its habitual and traditional policy and deliberately engage in the conflict con-flict which is now engulfing the rest of the world. I do not know what the standard stand-ard of citizenship of these gentlemen may be. I only know that I for one cannot subscribe to those sentiments." But now that Mr. Morris has given us such a fine example of tolerance and regard re-gard for each'other let us hope that from this time on the matter may be discussed from all angles, and that any person who sees fit to disagree with President Wilson, Wil-son, or the Democratic party, or any advocate ad-vocate of the League will not be charged with treason. Remember always that no one has disagreed with President Wilson as much as he has disagreed with himself. him-self. He has changed his mind, and been on all sides of public questions more than any other man the world has yet produced. |