The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-27
ENCOURAGING THE WAR SPIRIT.

war spirit in the republic. War has been
the source of the power of monarchy from
time immemorial. The presence of stand
ing armies and navies is what fastens mon
archy upon Europe The appeal to arms is
that which makes might right. The en-
enlargement of the spirit of war is the
building up of the power of tyranny. 1t
strengthens the hands of the powerful and
undermines the resources of the weak, It
involves the same danger in the republic,
as in the monarchy.
Notwithstanding the lesson of history
Notwithstanding the oppression of standing
armies and navies over the masses through
all Notwithstanding the terrible tax
burdens which the standing armies and ma
vies impose upon the people and industry
of thstanding the destruc
ton which the standing armies and the
spirit of conquest brought upon the Roman
repubic-notwithstan the menace
which war and armies and navies even now"
are to the peace and liberty of the earth
Notwithstanding the teachings of Washing
ton and Webster and our great statesmen
from the earliest time-this American re-
public is now developing the war spirit in a.
score of directions.
The secretary of war demands large in
crease of the standing army. The secre-
tary of the navy wants more warships.
There IS large congressional lobby back
of both of these demands and there are
senators and congressman and committees
which devote their energies to army and
| navy appropriations. In the river and har-
Dor bill $40, 900 900 have been appropriated
| for coast defenses-the largest amount
ever voted by congress in one session.
| During the past five years the government
| has spent millions of dollars on costly and
useless armed cruisers and men-of-war.
| The policy of the administration is to con-
| centrate troops in railway centers, and an
| increase of the army is demanded for this
| purpose. In large portion of the uni
versities and colleges of the country, par
t:cularly those that have received govern
ment appropriations, military schools are
conducted The University of Minnesota
has two such schools, one at the college Of
! literature and second at the agricultural
| college, and new $4,000 drill hall is now
| being constructed on the University cam
pus in addition to the drill hall at the farm
school, The other day, Senator Carter,
chairman of the national Republican COM
mttee, introduced in the senate bill pro-
viding for military text book in the pub
| lie schools coupled with compulsory mill
| tary instruction in the public schools of
America, in order to incucate in the youth
of the land love for military pomp and
| war.
| The selfish interests of the land support
this military spirit The manufacturers of
| arms and war supplies and war vessels sup
port congressional Hobbies to fan into flame
everything of the military character, and
work for the largest possible appropriations
along this line. The real estate interests
of every coast harbor help the thing along.
Every railroad company and trust and
combination that resists arbitration, favors
arms and armies to force into humble sub
mission Of the workingmen who are the vic
TINS of arbitrary oppression. Fashionable
society looks with delight upon military
pomp and glitter, and great wealth sees in
the standing army the means OF humbllng
the poor and weak.
If powerful corporation has control of a
weak executive, it has the military at its
back to support it's oppressive demands.
Thus the industrial and commercial barons
derive from troops in commercial age the
same unjust and dangerous power which
the barons of old secured for the Oppres-
sion of the serfs. Might is made right. The
powerful are entrenched in power, and the
weak are humbled and ground down in
their weakness. No warike baron N times
of old possessed more unjust power over
the serfs about him, than the modern cor
poration possesses which has control over
willing judge ready with injunctions
and over a weak executive in control OF
troops.
Americas danger is not from without
but from within. We need no armies and
navies to protect the continent from for
eign powers We need no troops within
except a border police and a nominal body
guard to maintain the dignity of authority
The presence of troops and the parade OF
military force are thought by some to be
productive of peace. But peace produced
by fear of arms IS most dangerous kind oil
peace. The peace that is forced on the
weak the lull that IS produced by the pres.
ence of arms in a republic. may be more
ominous than noisy demonstrations ant
disorder.
Faith, charity, arbitration. cooperation
brother,y love and union are the foundation
pillars of republican government. These
can not exist in the presence OF armed
troops. War destroys these foundations
The bayonet and brotherly love can never
go handin-hand. Charity and carbine
represent opposite principles. Arbitration
} needs no ammunition and armed force
Faith of man in man is not produced by
firearms. The quartering of troops pro
duced the American Revolution. The pres
ence of Fort Sumpter prec.p.tated tn
civil war. The appearance OF armed mel
created the Homestead slaughter. Thu