"rTJ Stf'wpwj'fli
I, 7
,f
The Commoner
von ae; tNo.u
18
'Ifiliotiui not our nation bo willing to tfilio HbIch for brood of blood-money gangsters are recommend
'Ireal peace In the Intercut of a world tired of the., Jng a buzzard brood of aeroplanes. The 'devil
VorttollluH and horrors of. war? nf lnfri linH irnmi fn ttm destruction and death
from the'sky. His victims have been mostly wo
men and children and babes. And the devil's
allies now- clamor for this latest and most bar
barous of nil' war's brutalities as a part of the
military outfit vo this so-called Christian repub
lic. Furthermore, of what possible use can - we
over have of aeroplanes, either to resist or-'ag-gresslvely
fight an enemy with 3,000 miles, of
ocean between?
JIvrSTBllIA OF 1812
We had a very disastrous fit of hysteria Jm
1812, resulting in our socond war with Oreat (
Britain. Soino of our historians charge Hciivy
Clay, llion speaker of tho house of renresonta-.
tlvcn, with fomenting this hystorla. Let m'O;
quote what oho of tho'greatost statesmen orlihe,
antebellum period said of that war. I refer; 1.6,
Senator Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts. 1
quote from a memorable oration delivered by
Sumner,. inlB'4 5: .
Tli(SiCniliflOHhnH and vanity of war appearIn'
IIm ,K(ipuU, of the great warB.,y which tho worjd
luict'i'Pn lacerated. After, Ion, struggles, In which
i.kAv huMmi linf, lnfllntcd und received Incalculable
if ill in on ltnh 1 it f loLt'il 1L1KI .rt'i
In.hfrv. ntwipp has been tfladlV Obtained on tho 1UhIh
of the condition of things before the war. Letrrn)
l-Torer, for an example, to our hist war with Great
I Itritaln. tho professed object of which wan to obtain
I II trill CHI' lilil.l'1 lTV .ll. ' Miiiiv wii . "r
claim to ImprcHH our ncatnen, The tfreatest number
1 of Amorican Heamon ever ofllelally alleged to ,he
compulHory serving In the Hvltlph 'iiavy wan about
800. To 'overturn this InJiiHtlce, tho whole country
wa doomed for more than thu.ee yoar to tho ac
purHed blight of war. Oprvcommerfra .was driven
from tho wean; rcHourceH of the land were drained
by taxation; villages pn the Cnnudlan frontier were,
lald'fh ahos; tho metropolis i the republic was
captured: the "Whlto Iiouhc burped, while gaunt
UHt,reHH rageu everywhere wituin our oorciors.
Weary with thin rude trial, our government ap
pointed commissioners to treat for peace, under
thoHe Instructions: "Your flrHt duty will be to eon
elude peace with Oreat Britain, and you are nil
''tWltfed'to do It." ' ' -
'' 'I'hld' Is, we had somo 2,000 'soldiers killed,
'Iw'lce'as' : many more maimed, aiid involved the
' 'c'pihilry' in an onormous debt, and then made a
be'rico compact with Great Britain which loft the
'impressment of our Amorican seamen unsettled,
"'or'jtiBt' Where it was bofore thev war.
,,M",f 'THE COSTLY HYSTERIA OF 1898
ii.'iWo.liail another violent and costly fit of. mil
itary hysteria in 1898. It is now, known that
i .Cuba could have been freed without war. against
j.iSpala and without shedding one :drop of. the
i .lilopd of an Amorican soldloiv After this.brief
-(lmt costly war wo paid Spain, a, whipped nation,
twenty millions for a vast group of. islands 10,-i-.0Q.0
miles away in the tropical Orient, .when
v'iBimin -had uoithor possession nor control. In
r.ifaoL Spain had nothing to sell except the royal
.(-prerogative of her boy King Alfonso. Wo .part
ed with our twonty millions for a tablet upon
.i(,whh3h,,to writo tho opltaph of tho republic of
,,T(hotna.fl Jefferson and Abraham. Lincoln,.
rt'uitljfl.fBttltlmor-o. platform pledges, tho dnmocrut
;,f,p mvty to Immediate action on the Philippine
vK'VfiMqm. Test wo forgot, I quote from that plat
v. tpriW.ii, .
We favor on Immediate declaration of the nn
! 0I,. H!u'POHe to recognize the Independence of
the Philippine Islands ns soon as a stable govern
'1 mKutiean be established. ' j .
Asr tho Philippine islands aro both a menace
. 'MUU0, H.ur(lQn aml have cost us to date ovor one
, ,MPu.8an(l millions of worse than wasted money
'."A Mo. lives of over 16,000 spldlers arid a pen
sion list of oyer 35 millions, why not, recog
, n,jz.e,nPw' ns n measure of national" defense, that
"sdlomn promise in our national platform? (Ap
' plause.'.) Wo could then bring back some 13,000
' fieutibiied and experienced soldiers to join our
'army at home. It would' also lift the? wliite man's
written in tho tropical Orient and shbrten' our
w buttle line somo 10,000 miles should Japan seek
tQ domlnato the Pacific ocean. We would save
; about forty millions of money, now wasted year
t "ly in the PhIUpplnesl and save also the danger
;v oils menace of passing another emergency tax
, bill" iir the immediate presence pf. a presidential
campaign.
t Seriously, is this not more important and vl-
tal .than following tho lead of r. mercenary co-
terie of murderous shrapnel and munition mak
ers, who are coining unholy millions in the blood
of innocent citizens across the Atlantic? (Ap
plause.) Nearly all our recognized leaders of
v. social ethics, nearly all our great humanitarians
ami teachers are against this preparedness busi
ness. You can count the defendors of this
wicked folly among our great .teachers of moral'
kandQconomio reform on the fingers of your two
hands. .
; . Jit is proposed to tax " pa tlppt. and tolerant
people, already overtaxed, that; an oVorpbwering
aVmy of idlers may be endowed to" consume the
savings of the industrial classes, increasing the
?nleai? uh 8t of living- and Producing noth
v ing but discontent and trouble. It is a, crime
against the republic. It is without sanity, with
out sense, and without excuse. And the same
Angell, author of "The Great Illusion' and oth-
an wnrlrd ; wlinsn tnnlc. wnR MAmfifIna'i 'h'ppfVI.. fir
J
OLD-AGE PENSIONS
' Tnrftnnrl nf no.vtnnntr nur ntnndlitcr armv.:, al
ready costing tho taxpayers over one hundred
millions a year, I favor reducing it one-half, to
50,000 men. This would probably save close to
fifty millions per year. I would use an'adequate
Bum to improve and strengthen our National
Guard, which,, should war ever come, 'will "prove
our chief reliance, 1 would, set apart, say, ten
millions as a starter for old-age pensions to the
worthy workers,, the" wealth producers in our
busy hives of Industry. Nothing would do such
valuable service in. healing the constant conflicts
between capital and" labor as a-humane system
of old-age pensions, silch as Prince Bismarck
inaugurated In the-German e'mpfre. Not Only
would this benign alleviation of the woes of the
workers heal the antagonism now so apparent
in labor strikes, but it would be an inspiration
of patriotism to every worthy worker in the
United States. Our flag would then be a hope
and a symbol of helpfulness, saying to every son
of toil, Be true, be faithful to your trust, and
when old age comes on apace this. flag with the
nhinlng stars will be your protector, and a grate
ful nation will help you to make your last days
on earth comfortable and full of gratitude. As
a matter of national defense it would be a cog
nato inspiration to every worker. Under this
proposed system of economic reform and patriot
ic preparedness we could use ten millions to, in
augurate a humane system of old-age pensions,
and spend five millions in perfecting the national
guard and then save thirtyflve millions of our
present, army'-budgot This 'Would relieve Our
weary ways and means committee of-much wear
and worry and prove a balm and a sweet solttce to
the great troubled army of overtaxed taxpayers.
And the ten millions would give 100,000 old-age
pensions at $100 per year. This money would
all go -into oirculation and prove a pbtent ele
ment in the education of th'e then' arid Vtimen
who db the world's work that this republic is
not ungrateful. . ..
OUR COAST, DEFENSES' .' . ' "
Probably,, some , anxious taxpayers wili -ask.
When and why was this extensive coaBt-defense
system started? It was. in 1S5, in order to
make a generous way .to spend more money
Have any of these big guns ever been called up-
,.?0 years; and furthermore, there may .never be
an enemy in sight for 30 years more. And when
this selt-sanie taxpayer, whp. hap been reading
in the big newspapers and .magazinesthat our
2S withouJ dGfen0' fints from the official
fnn0?RQKatnWp haye 8pent on coa- defense
?i ,. . ? thq enormos sum. of $175973,699,
he is liable to conclude that there is a vast ar
. ray of continental liars in this .preparedness
game.
!'
VIEWS OP OUR GREAT LEADERS
Ex-Senator Root, of New York, master mind
on the question of international law, was the
leading speaker before the Pan-American eon-
gress in this city on December -2 8. . I quote i
significant, paragraph fro.m Jite.-addreas: .
' Some 'of ua believe that fhr linn Ar m, . ' -,-..
process llos in the spread 2nU pectlwof Vc
oeratto self-government. It mavht .(
the rack and welter of the great c'onflfct mhvl..01
a general consciousness that :U ? Is tffwnnffirJso
to bb considered, their rlihta Vi id KI who aro
em n,nd be governed fmf t femsolvos rntbnr fi?nV
rulers' ambitions, and onlcti$aA$$ZBFn
This: is surely:.a .coyert punch' hi the ribs of
that powerful-group Qf war exploiters in Goth-
anuwho value hlpo.d-coined. dollars as, more v -
(Applause0) ' lenofir -go.yernmenl
'At the same session of the Pan-American con
gress Dr. Jacob Gould Schurman, of Cornel
university- predicted' the settlement of future
controversies by nrbftratlon. Force as a moral
Sllefl8 C SettU"B fcontroVersi.es. he- said, had
At. the much-explbfteiY Clark conference at
Worcester, Mass., December IS last, .Norman
tr works.; whoso tonic was
preparedness in policy," said:
America simmering; with the n'cw-raisdfl"tt'6ctriiie
of preparedness, Is heading straight toward' war,
unless, she fo.rinulates before building, up dierarma
inent a definite policy to tell the ,world thatslie
proposes to do with her military' and naval forced.
America Is putting a premium on naval rivalry
rather, than on right or wropg by this brand of
neutrality. , t
On the 8th of November last. I received, a letter
dated New York from the highest' class ..group" of
schojars, .humanitarians, and sociojlogistsia the
ynited States. Thig letter bore this pr.ecious
motto as a guiding principle: -.....' . i -
The American League to Limit Armaments Js or
ganized to combat militarism and the spread of t'he
militaristic spirit in the United States; ' li
As a matter of moment let me reefer' t6 some
or this group all opposed to tlieprqparedxtess
propaganda: ' ' 4 ". " . '"
Jane Addams, the foremost woman in the
United States on social, and- economic reform.
Felix Adler, -of New York author of Life-and
Destiny, the leading writer :on social ethicsand
culture in America. , i . ... '
Ray Stannard Bakeiv author wand scholar,
leader of social reform and book writer o "Am
herst, Mass. .i -.;
Silas B. Brownell, director of Princeton -Theological
Seminary; member of th'er Academy of
Sciences,' eminent lawyer and-churchman.
C. C. Burlingham, graduate of Harvard; -leading
member of New York bar; United1 States; del
egate to -International Conference On IVfaritime
Law in Brussels, 1909-10; ' . ' l "
Pr. . Nicholas M. Butler't ' prepident Columbia
Cpirege, New York;, one of our profound, sciiol
arsnd atuents of spciblogy"; writer ari'd author
" of the great hpok WJiy, SloulcI We Change Our "
Form of Government? . s'i- ; '" '
Rev. Henry S. C.ofllh, d'.D.. late of Union The
ological Seminary; distinguished' author; lec
turer, and humanitarian.. ' '" ' ''.'
Willani J, Curtis, eminent NW'York' lawyer,
scholar, and, refbrmdr. , '"'l '' . .,';"' '
Edwin Th Pe.yjne; ,L.Dv; gria. p, QQpiell
.Univeity.spcial.prker . profpssdrotr-social
economy, Columbia University.;' author, of ,,hu-
mnR. book Misery and Its Causes,, and pother
books.,
William H. P. Fauncp, LL.D.,; latei of the Uni
versity of Alabama; .author andt humanitarian.
. Austin G. Fox,, of -New. York-; Harvard Alumni
'Association; ..-,,...., . ,..,.,.
Bishop David H. Greer, .D.Dv, eminent scholar,
theologian, humanitarian,' and -author.
.;:; 'Morris HUlqUit, LL. D'., pastor Of Bro'adwav
wote -the New-Crusade 'nikl other-valuable
- DOOKS. .' -"... , ..yi
' 0ayifiSarf JoJdan',bf niltttruia, one Of the
Sncl fnnn??' WlW'the: United Stk'tes
and one of its ripest scliola.s: an author with" an
mternatfoiial reputation a'titlior" 6t hiJ"fvS
book The Call of the twentieth CriuJ; Wet-
cimorniav ml Stanfrd, Ju,ni?r Fnl&
Clarence H. Kelsey, banker of - New' York
graduate of Yale University. '
. Adolph Lewisohm, noted . philanthropist and
.of a valuable work on biology. . . ' - ' autuor
Edwin D. Mead, lecturer and 'author XpUu
, terilejd N. H. ; secretary Ve" fed? '
, -Foundation; a high-class ;Scholar and. author Sf
Caffyle' f Reformation' TlJeihiloSy It
George Foster Peabody.LU D., banker "trn
iirer of national democratic coinm??p' ' Sf"
York. Chamber of1 Commerce ?? "i ?'i ?eW
business man. oramerce, and high-class
oJ. Assoctation and AjtTs?
tion and writer of force -"hlaEoHnti S v , "
James fironson Reynolds, of New York- nrn
. sk-ssws &onil4sS f"
.commission.' ".Ja! .tenenienlvpuae
Julius Rosenwald, of Chfcagp, merchant'; Ps-
!ri!
itLMK"W-f 1
SmmtibM'-
