Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-04-07
NO. 90.

peace, bat condition to further prepa-
ration, in which victory and defeat
alike are used as arguments for further
preparations. Germany is victor, and
becomes camp France is vanquished,
and becomes a parade ground Ger
many is united and must therefore be
drilled Italy is united and must there
fore be drilled; the Balkan peninsula
Is disunited and must therefore be
drilled. Whatever the circumstances
or tie sacrifices or the hopes there
must be more and ever more men
drilled, more expenditures on prepara-
tions far war, more devotion by rulers
to military work, more surrender of
citizens to disciplinary training.
To this frightful extent Europe is
handicapped in the race for industrial
supremacy 1t is the penalty which
the people have to pay for the acci-
dents of their geographical position,
the forms of government they have
inherited, and their worse inheritance
of military history, national hatreds,
and political entanglements. At the
same time the ability of the European
workers to meet these heavy obliga-
tions is being steadily lessened, not
only by the drafting of the best Drawn
and bone into the armies, but by the
voluntary eXpatriation every year cf
thousands of their more energetic sons
and daughters.
The United States comprise about
the same area as the great States of
Europe combined and already have
nearly one-ffth as many inhabitants.
In all probability children now born
may live to see United America equal
in population to all Europe. From
our continental position any great ag-
gressive war in America by American
men is altogether impossible, and the
prospect of great civil wars is, we are
happy to believe, not less remote. Our
strength is rapidly becoming so great
If it is not already so-that no for
eign nations are likely to assail US
and the aversion of our people to for
eign entanglements is likely to keep US
from offensive foreign wars.
The natural advantages of America
for diversified and prosperous indus
tries are certainly less than those en-
joyed by Europe; and our people are
quite as capable as those of Europe of
making the most of their industrial OPP
portunities. The problem of industrial
supremacy is, therefore, not hard to
solve The single advantage we enjoy
in being free from the terrible war
burdens of Europe even i'll times of
peace, and our practical exemption
from risk of foreign wars, cannot fail
maintain us in our position as the
most prosperous people in the world.
The annual tale of labor prevented,
labor misapplied, and labor driven
away by the enormous armies and ar
maments of Europe finds no counter
part here. All our labor is productive,
all tends to swell our national wealth,
and to increase our power to do and to
enjoy. This alone would insure our
industrial supremacy, other things be-
ing equal, in very few years; and
fortunately our freedom from Europe's
military burdens is but one of the
great blessings we have to be thankful
for-but one of the conditions which
go to make sure our superiority in pro-
ductive power-our supremacy in the
arts of peace And the advantage of
all this must and does accrue mainly
to the American producer, showing
itself in lighter taxes, higher wages. a
greater diffusion of wealth, and more
generous style of living; all of which
are everywhere recognizable by Euro
pean tourists here as characteristic of
the lives of American workers.