The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-07
THOUGHTS OF THE
WE'LL KNOWN.
Henry George D3noIDCGS The Attempts
to Build q Navy.
Miss Frances E. Willard Talks Politics and
Temperance and Ct the Rational Battle
Of the Ballct-Box
Special TO THE SUNDAY CALI.


evil course we have entered on in attempt
iuE to luId up q great naval armament.
The navy on which we are spending such
au enormous amount of public money IS
useless and worse, 1t is anti-AmeiicaO,
corruptive aud dangerous
It's useless because it is unheedcd. We
ere So strong and so situated that there IS
DO p0ss blity of war being forced upon rs.
No nation in The world would wautonly at
tack us, for there is no nation that would
not have everything to lose and nothing 10
gain by doing So while. even if there is
no higher motive to restrain Us. there IS no
nation in The world with which the pr0y0k-
ing % war on our part would not mean GER
tanty Of loss without possibility Of gain.
1t is useless, moreover, because the ships
We are building would suffice neither for
defensive or offensive war. Modern inyen-
lion has made them as aHtillG,ed rs the
coat 8Tm0r Of the fCudal era. To case OF
attack from The sea the modern means OF
defense consist 10 the power Of concentra-
ton brought about by telegraph and rail-
roads, electricity and high explosives, tor
padOes and submarine boats, air-s1ips and
quickly placed Constructions and defeDses.
FOR aggression abroad power Is really meas
ured by the swift merchant-shjps that can
be called into service. We might
BUILD Up SUCH a NAVY
As that Of England. yet England would
~I DE immea-ursbly eur superior for OF
I, fers5va purposes in her merchant steamers.
We would be to-day superior to England la
merchant steamers aud the capacity If
building them had we not taxed American
stipo elf ihe high seas We could remit all
taxation on s.iIs and on their materials
vita tie loss of far les % the revenue than
we are Irw spending on the navy.
It's ant.-Amercen, for the reasons that
make all standing armies inimical 10 our
traditions and Institutions. LIS anti-AmeT-
lean. because organized on arjStacratc prin-
CIple> the Impossible class distinction be-
tween noble and peasant bp.ng perpRtu2teI
in lhe distinction between commissioned
officers and enlisted men. These men are
for the most part foreigners, who are only
kept ju oar naval service, after beng M
weighed into It. by severe restrictions and
standing reward for running them down II
they ESCAPE.
1t is carruntira. as interestingly large class
OF permanent Uf6ce-lu'0eTS IN influencing
government, as providing means fer de
baucHuE U.ltIcs wherever there Is navy
ward or contract 10 he given out. and as
building up corporations whose pTChIa &C.
pend on lobbying.
Il ], dangerous, because it creates an in
Iueutat etaSs whose interests are opp0 >ed
tutle interests Of lbe masses of tbe people,
purtauce, tie promotion, the contracts ana
pckiuEs that war viii bring 10 them.
lt IS dangerous because tse possession oi
strong navy fosters among the thougtttess
even those G. whom
WAE COULD BRING NOTHING
Bur injury. The same Ce-5re to Try ittLat The
possession az q new Iea-shUoteT aE9Uses in
the small boy.
We haze DO reesan for var. and there Is
10 more need for OFT building ir.ncIads than
r.. & e. ...aI IT rE- z..
I"E themselves +. 8ruCT because Dir. Crisp
I'E it 90 crazy ana might ire q b.uDGer0uSs
Ireu tie Speakers chair. But If We 20 on
bull -lnZ ir.u-Ia6s aud sending ships around
TIE world 20 make themselves unpleasant
o. even little nations, e are certain sooner
ar later % -et WaT 90 UuT hands. One such
war viii provoke Others.
Strong as we are way to Us is tie greatest
- u--rs. For. setting aside altogether It's
cost Il money and blood, war inevitably de-
mora ICES republican institutions. pCstpoues
reforms strengthens COVER meDts at the eX-
u-u~e Of tie people, GiffeTentjaies classes
and places power IN the hands of the few
NnG nlaily, even when successful, it de-
sr-0ys popular liberty.
OlC greatest advantage over European
nations is that our strength and our position
eNemr, rs from the fears that compel them
- stand armed. II ought 10 be our pride
and glory TO lead them in what IS good, not
70 ape them IN what IS bad. he real dam
gers that beset Us arr not from Wlth0ut,they
and navy can guard against. They can
only teusify them.
There are reasons which dispose the IN
Justly Ucl 10 strong aud aTlstocraticaHy
organized armies and uavies-the reasons
which ALWAYS dispose them to strong gov
eminent But for these very reasons, # for
uc others, the working masses ought 10 set
th-Ir faces ike fiat against them. Stand
llE armies and nayies belong 20 the policy
al Hamilton, not TO that Of Jefferson. They
be 1u- t0 m0uarCh.es aud HnDpr.aisms, net
90 democratic republics. HENRY GEORGE.
Tho Swing Of Conquest"
There is always tie Pharisee mind, the
Sadtacee mind, the Nirodemus who comes
by night lacking the courage Of his conYic-
Sons although IN him there is no guile, only
BE is still welded to the Cld-time views.
and there is always an apostle OF the
GeuU.as striking out new paths, blazing the
trees, and taking as his portion the canse,
the curses and the conseq ueBces This is
inst as true in religions things as it is in
tau-s political Politics and religion d.
vile The world and are the two great realms,
The d mocrats answer to the Catholics,
conservative and stereotyped, but whose
foundations res. on the tomhs Of heroes and
tle affairs Of saints. The Republican party
answers TO the Well-tO-dO Protestant de-
nom nations who hold to Virws and pOlity
not p0v requiring sacrifice, although IN the
begun Dg based on maTtyrdOm,
Tie MugWumpS, with their culture and
hEl-tourg views, answer 10 the Unltarians
Of all stripes and shades. The Prohibitions
ISIS find their analogy IA the QuakeTs, wi th
their fearless protest against wrong, the
holiness people, with their eager search for
lie highest and best; the faith people, who
"stag-er not at the promises Of God" aud
Tie TeEIva.Ists Of every name and sort
Thus these two great realms Of material
- g1 spiritual power, forever at war with
one another and within themselves.
have famed out the world 10 the
cash Of their arms and the din OF
fLelr dOiHg5 and, as there is nothing
tends iowa being the majority, and IS as
sure % become the maj arty as the coral reef
J, sure g. become the oral island. If we,
a5 temperance be pie, can only see this, we
cau look 80 It'll absolute amusement, and wiki
no sense Of loss or contradiction, upon the
splendid battlefield and take our chances as
are minority, already feeling ~ our hearts
the grand enthusiasm aud seeing in our
gait the Swing If conquest that comes
from The overwhelming Numbers sure
TO FOLLOW WHERE WE LEAD,
Il is said that tile Bible has been upset
tWenty-sryen times ia The last five years by
those who DO not receive u 0s reVe lati0n
from God. But the good book is consider
ably ke q cube Of New England granite;
when you upset ii you have Only set il mp;
81 BIS just as big ono way a. another, and
Just rs big after Il IS tumbled down as II
was before. Indeed. 1T stands four square
TO every ind that blows" Tie Bible and
prohibition are alike in this matter. Both
resemble the ITishman rs wall that DE built on
The side Of n bog. and his brother said,
Dennis, me boy, isn't 1t going 10 be under
mined, this wall that you're building?"
Faith. and it isn't" be Tetorted, because
10 Is feet high and feet wide, and if il