The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-04-10
WAR AND PROSPERITY.
Tie Erisound Doctrine Preached by 4
B0mbastic Naval Officer.


Admiral Porter; OF the American
navy, is thlrsting for blood. He is
quoted by the Washington Star as says
ing:
I'VE are always prosperous in war;
If this is true. of course. the more
war the more prosperity, and the old
Admiral is right in his demand for a
war with Germany about Samoa.
War means death and destruction; il
not of our own men and property, at
least of the men and property of Ger
many. We do not see how any nation
ever can prosper by destroying men
and property. Germany conquered
France. but she had to pay dearly for
It, The North conquered the South,
but certainly from 1860 to 1879 were
not prosperous times III any sense.
War is destruction, not prosperity.
Itdestroys the very foundation of pros
perity. It disturbs all industry. It
Interrupts commerce. 1t diverts men
and money and energy from produc-
tive to unproductive employments
War is costly privilege, or pleasure.
or duty, as occasions arise. There are
times when only war will settle a dis
pute and then war must come, cost
what it may.
Admiral Porter seems to have i'm
bibed the theory of the protectionists
that the fewer goods we have the bet.
ter of we are. Wealth consists not in
scarcity, but in abundance. Scarcity
advances prices, yet it is a sign not OF
prosperity, but of poverty. If half the
wool in the world were destroyed to-
morrow. the price might advance to
twice what it is to-day, but the world
would be poorer, not richer.
10 show just how war would oper-
ate to interfere with, if not destroy our
prosperity, we may quote from the in
terview with Admiral Porter:
Gas the country knows, have been urging
in letters and reports the Importance OF build.
ing up powerful navy. We have the wealth
and resources to lead the world in navy. But,
| taking matters as they are, the Government
should 60 to England and France, both coun.
tries being ahead Of Germany in modern naval
vessels and guns, and buy all the r;fled guns
| we can find and bring them here. We will very
| soon make use OF them. Here is a list of the
! entire strength Of the German navy. It is
| more than we have, but we have the money
and could easily pend $3.50, 900 900 in ships and
appliances Of war"
That $3.50, 100000 represents fully
one years export of cotton. We now
export it for the comforts and con.
veniences of lite; for those things
that add to the prosperity of the
people; for raw materials to employ
our mill hands, ETC., etc. That is right
and proper. But Admiral Porter's
scheme of prosperity would force US
to exchange it for guns and ships o.
war and force us to do witho out other
things. These guns and ships would
not add any thing to the wealth o.
America by destroying the property o.
Germany. When America has to &c
to war, she will prosecute it witt
Sherman's idea that "war is hell;" 81
it is Admiral Porter's idea, that wal
is prosperity, is delusion, fit only
for consideration by the Ways ant
Means Committee of the next Repub
lican Congress. 1t is contrary t,
human reason and to universal ex
perience, but it accords entirely will
the theory of political economy upol
which the Republican party is acting
louisville Courier-J ournal.