T$? ' yv " fw t fct
The Commoner
'APRIL, 1916
20
"preparedness" foments war has in
mind tho substantial fact that Eng
land feared Germany's preparedness
on land and Germany feared Eng
land's navy. Both were "prepared"
and each got what it prepared for.
There would he no reason to prepare
for war without having it. So that
"preparedness" found its logical con
clusion. It always will. The two
nations "prepared" so thoroughly
they were afraid of each other's
growing preparedness.
If tho brilliant English thinker is
thoroughly at home on any subject,
it Is war. He conceives a fine dis
tinction between "preparedness" and
national defense. He has, as all
democrats have, a thorough hatred of
the military. He knows that militar
ism and democracy are antithetic;
that in no stage of civilization do
they complement one another.
Wars virtually would be impos
sible if the peoples of various nations
knew the successive steps by which
their diplomats usually represent
atives of grasping economic inter
ests attempt "manifest destinies"
In commerce under the guise of need
ful expansion. Wars usually are
the final expression of lustful greed.
Kansas City Post.
mouth spoko the fundamental ideas
on which tho whole world is built,
the ideas in pursuance of which there
never can follow any evil: truth,
love and justice It further occurred
to me that, in the end, justice will
prevail.
Who of those who are exalted,
rich, powerful and wise will stand
by these ideas?
Our country has tho solemn duty
to do all in Its power to stop this
war.
ONE PCINT OF VIEW
(One of many letters received by
The Commoner.)
When the European war broke out
I was in Europe. One day while
taking a car ride toward the city, I
noticed a middle-aged man in the
street car sitting alone and crying.
I went to him and saw that his shoes
were muddy. He appeared to be a
farmer., Inquiring what ailed him,
he said that he had walked a long
way and that he was tired and on his
way to join his regiment. He said
that he was not crying about him
self, although he felt certain that he
was led to slaughter and that he
would never return home. He said
that he was crying because he left
two children, four and six years old,
and that he felt that he would never
see them again.
I thought often about this man.
Other soldiers, in company with
others, were in high spirits. He was
alone. He had walked a long way
through the beautiful mountains and
he had time to thi-ik. He could not
understand in his simple mind that
there should be anything in the wide
world which should tear him away
from his two yo..ng children, who
needed him so much and whom he
loved so much. Up in the mountains
where he had worked so hard and
where peace reigned, he received
the summons to be led to slaughter,
to die while in his prime of life and
in the best of health. He had to say
good-bye to bis children because
other people forced him to do it.
And in his simple-mindedness he
could not see why such a thing
should, happen, and as he could not
understand it he was stunned by the
magnitude of such an injustice and
cruelty.
And when thinking about this
man and about his children, and
about the crime which is committed
on them, it became clearer to me
that the man was eternally right. He
may be dead now and his two child
ren may Tiave lost their best .friend.
He was not a man of riches, nor a
man of power and not a man of edu
cation. But through him were ex
pressed the most gigantic Ideas of
airideas, namely love and truth.
And all deductions I can make from
all other agencies which .have spoken
during this war, no matter how .e
alted, how rich or how powerful aad
wise, all their deductions crumbled
to nothingness when compared with
the utterances of this simple man
from the mountains, through whose
Bed Fellows
Reprinted in Senator Hitchcock's
newspaper wo And noteworthy opin
ions by Richard L. Metcalfe on two
candidacies in the coming democratic
primaries. Of Mr. Neville, the candi
date of the liquor faction of his party:
"There is every reason to believe
that as governor he will be free from
control by special interests." Of
Arthur Mullen, anti-Bryan candidate
for national committeeman: "There
has not been a political campaign for
years in which 'Art' Mullen has not
been an important factor. He has
taken off his coat and plunged into
the work of putting into ottice demo
crat after democrat, and when he
makes an effort to carry an election,
as a general thing he succeeds." Mr.
Metcalfe predicts Mullen's election.
We have no question to raise as to
Mr. Metcalfe's statements of fact. We
are only interested in the fact that
here Mr. Metcalfe, erstwhile the progressive-anti-liquor
machine demo
crat, is now aligned with the candi
dates of the group which he has long
opposed. In common with nearly
everybody ejse, we are ignorant of
the character of the young man put
forward for governor by the liquor
democrats, for the simple reason that
he has not heretofore been heard of
in the state. But Mr. Metcalfe knows
whose candidate he is. As to Ar
thur Mullen, whose election as na
tional committeeman Mr. Metcalfe
seeks, Mr. Metcalfe knows that he
has been the commander from the
lobbies of the liquor legislators in
the last three Nebraska legislatures.
Mr. Metcalfe knows that Mr. Mullen
managed the fight against the initia
tive and referendum in the legisla
ture of 1911, a measure to which the
democratic party was committed, but
which the liquor interests opposed.
Mr. Mullen has indeed helped many
a democrat into office. But can Mr.
Metcalfe point to many of Mr. Mul
len's proteges whose loyalty, as
proved by official conduct, was not to
the saloons first and the democratic
party afterward? Mr. Metcalfe can
not be unaware of the company he
is in.
This is one of the strangest of
cases of strange alignments in pol
itics. It could be explained satisfac
torily if Mr. Metcalfe were to an
nounce frankly that his views have
changed and that now he has no ob
jection to government by liquor ma
chine. But he does not do that. He
pronounces himself actually a pro
hibitionist. Yet he joins the army
which has for six years kept Nebras
ka in a state of subjection to the li
quor forces. Mr. Metcalfe is now
personally estrapr"d from the Bry
ans, the leaders of the anti-liquor
faction of his party; but to say that
this explains .his attitude is to say
that he places personalities above
principles, that . he is a. progressive
democrat when.B.ryAn gives him a job
and a reactionary democrat when
Bryan akes away his job. This is not
uncommon amongr public men; but it
lis too serious, a,, conclusion to draw
without very complete evidence; All
one can say at present is that poli
tics is making strange bedfellows for
"Met." Nebraska State Journal.
PASL.E PATRIOTISM
False gods, falso words, false
hearts!
Tho shouting of tho captains cry
ing "patriotism" are heard in tho
land today. Their clamor is unceas
ing. Liko hunters urging tho pack
on to bo ripped to death by the bear,
they cry on tho people.
Europo barkened to tho preaching
of this "patriotism." The women now
stumblo anguished in a valo of tears.
Tho children cry for fathers and
brothers who will never return. Tho
young maids mourn sweethearts; tho
young wives, husbands. All is desola
tion desolated hearths and hearts.
As for tho old men, thoy are
children. They say it has always
been so. They say they, too, fought
in their youth and looked upon blood
and bones and saved the country.
They say these things must be, as
they shako their doddering old
heads. Men must protect the coun
try! -rue old men havo learned the
preachers texts.
Aye, true; countries endangered
must bo protected. Countries in
vaded must bo defended.
But that protection of threatened
hearths, which Is tho only true "pat
riotism," does not call for aggres
sion. This other, this lip "patriotism," Is
a sinister thing. It blinds the people.
It Is uttered for that purpose. It
makes of tho pcoplo a tool for tho
solflsh captains who preach "patri
otism." It makes them look upon
their neighbors wolflshly. It plays
upon passions.
Then, when tho captains demand,
tho pcoplo rush to war. Tho cap
tains havo selfish interests. Tho
pcoplo servo those ends.
Death and ruin come after.
Kansas City Post.
Wilson Hart h Ford Joko
Finding threo Fords and an auto
mobile parked in front of tho White
house when ho started for a motor
rido tho other afternoon Inspired
President Wilson to tell this one:
"A man who owned a Ford was
about to die. His last request was
that the machine bo buried with him.
When asked to explain ho said:
" 'Well, that little, old car has
pulled mo out of many a deep hole,
and it may pull me out of this one."
Washington correspondence of tho
Louisvillo Courier-Journal.
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