The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-30
IS A WAR COMING?

w. II. Lowdermilk writes to the Wash
tngton Post q curious letter, which. how
ever, contains many excellent sentiments
He says: Should a virile American de-
mand of our government that II is her
duty to protect her weaker sister repup'
lies from spoliation at the hands OF Eng
land, the great buccaneer Of the world, the
International freebooter, who goes about
stealing the territory Of weak and help
less nations, we instantly hear the cry
OF 'jingoism.' To the shame OF our people
they allow themselves to be frightened by
this cry, and at once suppress their de-
mands. What is there about this lingo
ism to frlghten people2 III Jingoism
means that we are determined by force
of arms or otherwise to shield our weak
neighbors from violence at the hands OF a
great bully; II it means that we Will so to
war rather than permit a European ma
ton to acquire. by robbery or otherwise,
| additional territory In America-then all
hail 'jingoism! We should glory In 1t and
consecrate 1t.
1.-The United States Is the most conser-
vative nation on earth; It wants no war; 1t
NEEDLES with no nations affairs; 1t will
trespass upon nobody's territory; but II
has certain imperative obligations which
it cannot ignore. 1t owes protection 10
the lives and interests of it's citizens ev-
erywhere: 1t Is in honor pledged to the
Monroe doctrine. and It's own self-preser-
walton requires 1t 10 forbid encroachments
| which may mperil its safety by aggres-
sions of other great powers. In the full
| ness of a fate ineXo rable war between the
United States and Great Britain Is inevit-
able. While we preach peace and arbitra-
| tion and brotharly love in our blind in
| fatuation, England, with clearer sight,
| has u fun recognition of existing and
coming exigencies. She Is prepared for
| the conflict; we are not, Her navy Is al
most invincible; her supply stations lie
| all about us, fully equipped; her magniii-
| cent frowning fortiflcations line Canadian
borders, and from them her mammoth
| guns imperiously command our unprotect-
| ed shores. Our defenseless harbors are
mapped and plated; our channels sur
| veyed and charted; our few guns meas
| ured and tested; our resources reckoned
| and valued. Her own course is shaped by
| vigorous, aggressive statesmen of expert
| ence, and every quarer of the globe Is In
| cluded in her plans. British commerce
Is the heart of British life, and army and
| navy and Drawn and muscle and money
| are always ready to push and protect that
| commerce. If British plans happen to be
| unpalatable to the Americans or anybody
else that Is their affair: but all the same
| the Englishman goes ahead to take what
| he wants. Should our government, how
| ever, raise its flag and stand by its guns
| there would probably be hesitation, and
| perhaps a retreat. This has occurred here
tofore, notably in 1860, when British ship
| trained it's guns on the American flag
| hoa ting over the Island Of San Juan, and
| demanded that the forty United States
| soldiers stationed there should haul down
| their colors and leave that island to Brit
ish supremacy. The captain of those forty
men thereupon nailed that flag to the mast
| and challenged the enemy to fire on II
| The E.nglishmen sailed away.
| 1.-THE war with Great Britain which Is
| impending will do more to harmonize thf
conditions of the world than any othc,
| possible event that can occur. The United
| States will suffer great losses In property
| in the outset, but every resource OF tn,
| nation will be taxed for the struggle; the
country will spring into activity; there
will be no idlers; she will become in five
years the greatest naval power in the
world; English maritime commerce will
1 be destroyed; America will be the ruler
of the seas; American sails will whittier
every sea; Canada will come into thu
| Union; South and Central America viii
have no European powers on their soil
| Venezuela will be purged of them; Ber
| muda will no longer be a British sentine
| at Uncle Sans front door; Cuba will mo-
| be, as now, q foreign key to lock up the
| Gulf of Mexico. The conservatism Of tn,
| United States, who will have no desire fol
| territorial possessions away from her owl
borders will insure the world against any
one power dominating all others.
This is inevitable. The British lingo
| Is destined to meet his fate"