The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-12

power could get at her from this side.
My constituents look over the line and
see those frowning Notifications, and
they reason the matter this way Those
fellows talk mighty nice, but what are
their guns pointed at rs for?' And we
getting nearer to each ether all over the
world. By and by some cockey British
captain-and all those British sea
captains are cockey-will run against
one of our vessels up in the straits,
and shots will be exchanged, and
there will be war. We have too many
points of contact, and we are too much
alike. Neither side will give an inch.
And as to eur common language, I look
On that as the greatest danger, for when
we blackguard each other all the people
understand it. We read their books and
papers, and they read ours, and every
little aggravation looks big from the
other side. Oh, they'll fight soon or
late, and my present hope is that they
will have their big fight in Europe first
and have it soon, for we have the stuff
to sell them and should get rich while
they are fighting!''
A More Hopeful View.
After this dose of pessimism it was
quite pleasure to drop into the room of
and hear the scholarly view of Chair
man r. r. Hit, who grows more con-
fident as the weeks go on that the ma
lions have about learned that they can
not afford to fight. He thinks that the
deterrents to war have increased with
such rapidity in the last 90 years that
long war would ruin the richest nation,
and that no man, however scientific,
ho ~ he.
tween different navies as at present con-
stituted. Zone great fact is said he,
''that all the rom ance that comes of per-
sonal prowess is completely eliminated,
while the danger is enormously in
creased. A man serving on one of these
big warships is no more than a stoker.
If the two vessels come to close quar-
ters, it means speedy destruction to the
weaker and almost sure death to every
one on it. In the great naval battle at
the Yalu, even at the distance of two
miles, the Japanese wrought such havoc
that the Chinese were paralyzed. They
could not even keep their feet, and in
cidentally this has very SOLDERING effect
on those naval gentlemen who look to a
war to secure rapid promotion.
A Peaceful View.
tYeu surely do not mean that we are
entering on the promised period when
there are to be Eo more wars?"
"Well, don't know about that. It is
by no means foregore conclusion that
war must continue. Other evils which
philosophers thought inseparable from
human nature have ceased very sudden
". Slavery has died out of the civilized
world. Great plaques and famines no
longer occur. You have mentioned the
remarkable fact that when the Fifty
third congress met, the whole world was
at peace for the first time since the ad-
vent of Christ. They might have been
Staying each other by millions in China
or India at that time for all the Roman
historians knew, but we do know that
in 1898 there was not troop in hostile
movement anywhere in the world. The
temple of Janus was shut. Of course I
will not prophesy, but feel quite sure
that there will be no fight over the is
sues now exciting us, and this commit
tee does its work with a very easy feel
ing so far as that is concerned"
Canada's Strength.
The new western member above
quoted, although veteran of the late
war, was so vehement against the next
one that he declined to be quoted by
name, and 1 have to expurgate his re-
marks very radically. To my first ques-