The copper country evening news., 1896-04-13
now CAN WE REFORM THE WORLDLY

Ignorance being darkness, what we need
| Is intellectual light. The most important
things to teach as the basis of all prog
ress Is that the universe is natural; that
man must be the providence OF man; that
by the development of the brain we car
avoid some of the dangers. some Of the
evils. overcome some Of the obstructions
and take advantage OF some Of the facts
and forces Of nature; that by invention and
industry we can supply, To a reasonable
degree, the wants of the body, and by
thought, study and effort we can in part
satisfy the hunger of the mind.
Man should cease to expect any aid from
any supernatural source. BY this time he
should he satisfied that worship has not
created wealth and that prosperity is not
the child OF prayer. lie should know that
the supernatural has not succored tho OPP
pressed, clothed the naked, fed the hun
cry, shielded the innocent, staid the pes
thence or freed the slave.
Being satisfied that the supernatural
does not exist, man should turn his entire
attention to tho affairs of this world, 10
the facts in nature.
And, first of all, he should avoid waste
waste of energy, waste Of wealth. Every
good man, every good woman, should try
10 do away with war and stop the appeal
to savage force. Man in savage state re-
lies upon his strength and decides for him
self what Is right and what Is wrong. Civ
ilized men do not settle their differences
by resort to arms. They submit the
quarrel To arbtrators and courts. This Is
the great difference between the savage
and the civilized. Nations, however, sus-
tain the relations Of savages to each other
There is no way Of settling their disputes.
Each nation decides for itself, and each ma
tion endeavors 90 carry its decision into
effect. This produces war. Thousands Of
men at this moment are trying to invent
more deadly weapons 10 destroy their fell
low men. For l,S00 years peace has been
preached. and yet the civilized nations are
the most warlike Of the world There are
in Europe today between II 900, 600 and
10000, 600 Of soldiers ready To take the
field, and the frontiers of every civilized
nation are protected by breastwork and
fort. The sea is covered with steel clad
ships filled with missiles Of death. The
civilized world has impoverished itself, and
the debt of Christendom, mostly for war,
Is now nearly 500 600, 900, 600. The inter
est on this vast sum has To he paid Ii has
10 he paid by labor-much of IL by the
poorly those who ARE compelled To deny
themselves almost the necessities Of life.
This debt l. growing year by year There
must come change or Christcndom will
become bankrupt
The interest on this debt amounts at
least To 5000, 600, 900 n year, and the cost
of supporting armies and navies, of repair
ing ships, Of manufacturing new engines
OF death, probably amounts, including the
interest on the debt TO at least &c, 600, 900
a day. Allowing ten hours for day
that is, for working day-the waste Of
war Is at least $500, 900 an hour-that Is
to say, e10,0 900 minute.
Think Of all this being paid for the pur-
pose OF killing and preparing TO kill our
fellow men. Think OF the good that could
be done with this vast sum of inoney-the
schools that could be built, the wants that
could he supplied. Think OF the homes il
would build, the children II would clothe.
Ii we wish to do away with war, we
must provide for the settlement Of national
differences by an international uJurt. This
court should be In perpetual session, its
should be selected by tho various
governments to be affected by it's decisions,
and, at the command and disposal Of this
court, the rest of Christondum being dis
armed, there should be military force
sufficient tn carry its judgments into ef-
feet. There should be no other excuse, no
other business for an army or navy In
the civilized world.
No man has Imagination enough TO
paint the agonies, the horrors and cruelties
III war. Think of sending shot and shell
through the bodies of men
Think Of the widows and orphans! Think
OF the manned, the mutilated, the mangled