The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-30
NOVELIST GAINES
Plea for
Peace.

At the recent arbitration meeting in
Queens hall, London, Hall Caine, the
disputes between the United States and
England: "A man of letters does not often
intrude himself upon political platform,
and perhaps the only apology 1 can make
latest of our countrymen to return from a
visit to America. In the character of a
recent American visitor, / have to assure
YOU that America does not want war will,
terrible experience Americans know wha,
war can be. Nothing impresses the tray
eier In America more profoundly than tie
sense that deep In the American character
lies the memory of the civil war. The Bit
terness has gone from the wounds II
made. and old soldiers Of north and south
10 longer refuse to sit down at the same
table; but the scars remain. and when
Americans speak of their great war. IL Is
with Strengthened faces. For four years OF
awful struggle, million OF dead. and all
their own dea6-their own. whether nor; n
or south. War has come very close to
Americans. The men are still only in mid.
die life who fought on the battlefields OF
1851 to 1854, and the women are not yet old
who nursed their sons in the hospitals.
We have no reason to fear that our APP
peals in the interests of peace will fail of
response In America. There Is no end
CT pluck and courage there; the people are
Ing that they forget their duty to their
country. They have one Of the smallest
Of standing armies, and yet they are a
great military nation, with an intelligent,
brave, and almost limitis 50 rank and file
ready to take the field. Whatever else
they blow about, they don't blow about
their military Drowess, and yet they have
done some Of the greatest things in mod
Is the horror Of war greater than In Amer
lea, and nowhere would any practical Bile
plan of lessening the dangers of war be
hailed with more enthusiasm.
--.ll:-
THE recent upheaval of popular feeling,
both In England and America, over the
Venezuelan ENHANCEMENT was an alarm
Ing experience to such OF US as were un-
the trouble from both sides Of the ocean 1t
was hardly less than appalling 1t CHANGED
that ! was In America when It began. II
would be prssumptuous on my part 10
dare do SO: but l saw that Lord Sails.
bury's letter criticising the Monroe doc
trine-a Letter which seemed SO strong and
statesmanl.ke in England-was running
counter to national sentiment In Ameri-
ca that had almost gathered the force Of
4 superstition, and that foreigner could
not fully understand. On the other hand,
l saw that. when Mr.. Clcveland's message
was assailed In England and elsewhere as
a mere attempt to push along a third-tsrm
boom, II was being unjustly attacked, and
that English criticism OF the president
was only uniting the parties In America in
his favor. 1t was my pleasure and privi-
lege to see little-a very little-of Mr..
Cleveland, and II his menace of war was
merely badly calculated election ruse
planned months ahead. the crime must
house. l can only say. on the strength of
the little saw OF the president, and on the
authority of whatever observation l may
have; that he left deep impression upon
Of political purpose, and superiority to all
personal ambitions that were not good and
true; found him lover Of England and
said. Everything that was dome done by eHs his TH. in.
innate friends and family during that
short time left the conviction that he did
not want third term, and would not take
ment of war fever could the English people
have accused of mean and impure motives
statesman who had never before given
evidence Of meanness and im2urity. More
over any cooler tribunal than two coun-
tries at fever heat would have remembered
(what has never even been remarked
upon) that Cleveland's ill-fated proclama-
ton was the same In spirit and almost
u similar ENHANCEMENT with France oc-
cured In Mexico In 1868
-:lj:-
.'All the same. Mr.. Cleveland's proclaim
alton was a shock to lovers Of peace. and
II such danger can threaten us from SO
unlikely source. no more proof Is neces-
sary that we want an improved method OF
settling International disputes. At prcs
ent England and America stand to each
other in the relation Of the neighbors in
the familiar definition of the boy in Sun
day, school: Johnny, who is your neigh
bor?' The person that lives next door
AND what is your duty to your neighbour
TO keep my eye on him. We who arc on
this platform think an international court
Of arbitration would lessen the dangers of
war. Such court was tried in the case oc
the Alabama dispute, and In spite Of some
mismanagement on our side 1t worked
we'll, and reflected honor on the wisdom OF
Mr. Gladstone. OF course, We know that
an , arbitration court would not be an in
suppose a force behind 1t. We don't ex-
pect that 1t would abolish standing armies.
but we. think 1t would reduce them. 1t
p Peace soSoS wod Pst BE- @ G cs.c put s of
when it failed to maintain peace 1t would
be Inundated If not disgraced Its busi-
ness would be to understand both sides;
devil is so black as he is painted, and it
would end with the maxim that he that
ruleth his spirit Is better than he that
taketh city, 1t might encounter prac.
ttcal difficulties, and some Will ask us what
we will do IN the cases in which It will
fail. We will do what the clergyman did
In Abraham Lincoln's favorite story: The
clergyman had to cross the Fox river on
swollen and very dangerous. What will
YOU do when you come to the Fox river?'
Friends he said, I assure you have no
intention Of trying to cross the Fox river
until i get TO it.
III
IF ever there was Il time TO try an arbi-
tration court, 1t is now when the shadow
Of great disaster has hung over us and
passed on. And il ever there were two
countries made by nature for the expert.
ment, 1t Is England and America. We are
one family, and, of course, we exercise
the privilege Of kindred to nag at each
"ha Il artrn 4 \
did not see In America disposition to
snicker at England, answer that perhaps
did see 1t; but Is 1t not true that we, too
frequently see a disposition In England
to snicker at America? II England in
what the Canadian minister Of finance
calls her splendid isolation lacked the SYM
pathy Of America. is 1t not the fact that
during her great struggle for unity Ameri.
England? But under the friction of lesser