The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-19
INTL-RN .TIAN ISN

''HN'
miners of England recently struck on &C
count of a reduction OF wages, the coal
miners of The continent, representing
| more than one nation additionally hos
tile. refused to handle coal to be sent to
English markets.
International societies OF wOrklngmen
are fast becoming power in the world.
InternatiOnalism has, in fact, come to
stay It is time to spill it with a capital
|. The serf OF Russia, cold and isolated
amid his far northern SHOWS, has his
friends and sympathzers in the nations
where flowers always bloom and the
child is born and dies who never saw the
snow. \ strike in London echoes round
the civilized world. The riots i'll belgium
are backed by the moral sentiment OF
countless millions who could not locate
Belgium on the map OF the world. Whether
the naked savage that in the heart OF
darkest Africa crossed the tract OF Stan
ley was wronged becomes a matter OF
| international inquiry and debate.
There is growing in the world each day
q profOunder regard for man as man.
Class trappings and traditions more and
more fade before the one essential OF IN
herent manhood. Poetry, song and
story no longer fawn at the feet OF pride
and power. They sing the free songs
and tell the inspiring dreams OF the
brotherhood OF man.
1t is said that Robert Browning on
one occasion was. left by his son, the
artist, to do the hOnOrs OF the house at
an exhibition of his paintings. y woman
entered unannOunced and unattended.
Browning greeted her with the same cor
diality he had exhibited to all. In her sur
prise the woman said, Please, sir, am
only the cook, but Mr.. Barrett asked me
to come and see the plctures. Without
n moments hesitation and with genuine
courtesy he offered her his arm and
showed her the treasures OF the room
with the same consideration he had dis
PLAYED to Others. 1t is not an eXcep-
tiOnal illustration. 1t is part of the
growing incarnation of Il new world
spirit Ring out the old; ring in the
new, How much such a fact means to
the future of human society the historian
and student of sociology well knows.
MILITARISM.
SecOnd-The rebellion against militia
rism and war among the masses Of man
kind is one OF the most significant facts
of the closing years OF this century.
The people have at last begun to see
| that it is utter insanity that they should
butcher one another to further the am
| billions OF kings and princes and rulers
We are beginning to see that the only
| enemy they have is the common enemy
| OF man-hungcr and cold. suffering.
The great armies OF Europe are honey
| cOmbed with thcseidcaS. How far machine
| discipline has crushed the human in these
| armies themselves remains to be seen.
In case OF Il general European war. it
now extremely doubtful if the great
MASSES OF the working world could be in
| duccd to engage III 1T or support a gov
| ernmental army. Germany has but re-
Gently rejected the pet army bill of he1
! government, and it required all the re-
sources OF the lmperlallsts to force a
mcager ma JOrity for the measure i'll the
new assembly.
At the recent international congress OF
socialists one OF the principal questions
discussed officially by the congress was
| whether in the event of a war all work
lngmen should go on a general strike
and refuse to work until the butcherH
| ceased.
Such Il movement on the part of The
masses would surely strike the deatl
blow to military power. The masses arr
learning at last the truth about war
When they know it fully, the era of uni
vcrsal peace is come.
According to Edward Atkinson, tn,
Boston statisticism, the total cost of the
war of the rebellion has been up to dat,
GS93) about SD 900, 100000. Th
entire assessed wealth of the UniteC
States in 1860 was only $4,000, 900,
600, including the value of the slaves
1t costs 81 900 to kill n man. From
the Crimean war down to that of 1901
the civilized nations OF Europe anC
America spent in destroying one an
other Sd 900, 900, O0O. 900. The wars O
the last 100 years have cost $1,000
OOO, 900, without counting the sorrow
the agnOny, the loss OF men and Othe
results.
WHEN BUTCHEKY SHALL CEASE.
When this butchery shall case and tn
vast standing armies OF the world b
turned into armies of industry, who cal
estimate the speed at which the ney
civilization will go forward?
Some time ago the Emperor William
of Germany made Il little speech on tn
occasion of the administering the Oatl
of allegiance to the recruits of the guard
In this speech he said:
Recruits, You have before priest an,
altar sworn fealty to me. You are TOT
young to understand the true meaning 0
the words in which you have sworn bu
be diligent in following the instruction
given you. 1ou have my children, sworn
allegiance. That means you have giver
your service to me, body and soul. Io,
have only one enemy, and that is IN,
enemy. In the present socialist agitatio:
| may order you, which God forbid. t
shoot down your relativeS-yOur brothers
even your parentS-and you must ODE,
without murmur.
y generation ago the eXhilaratins
proposition to shoot down ones rela
tives, brothers and parents at the behes
OF ambitious fools was received ant
acted on as divine command, Bu
to-day this proposal was received with ;
sulen growl, which made the ears O
more than one crowned head tingIe TO
many months.
In America working men refuse to ioi
the military organizations For the frs
time in our history our national guar,
is not II representative body. Themasse
are not in it, Look to it. 1t is a fac
pregnant with tremendous consequences
Deeper and deeper grows the conviction
among them that the military is tn
enemy OF the people and the last bu
wark OF class, power and privilege
In the face OF this growing hostility t
the military power among the masse
who must make up the ranks of all grea
wars, We observe the blind fatality wit
which the ruling powers OF the world ar
preparing for war. \ great war With
10 years seems now inevitable. An
when it comes who can iOretell the az
sweeping results? All the great power
OF the old world are each day enlargin
and Fastening their preparations for tn
event. Each army maneuverinmiSp lanne
on vaster scale than its predecessor
Each year adds Il new squadron to tn
lroncad battlcships that are to conten
for the mastery of the seas These ship
and guns and armies will surely be pu
III motion soon. Who can tell the out
come? What will be the answer of til
common people to the scourge OF wal
Hitherto it has been silence and SUFFERING
But to-day the masses are moving undo
a reslstless impulse toward an inferno
tlonal federation and world peace.
, THE EUROPEAN CRISIS.