St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-12-31

L
train that will let you leave almost any
where, but q through train, and then
they will not step on the train unless
they expect to 60 clear through to the
last depot. One brave man this coming
winter, rising amid the white marble Of
yonder Capitol hill, could offer a reso-
luton upon the subject OF divorce that
could keep out of the next century
much of the free lovism and dissolute-
ness which have cursed this century.
Another thing that we need to get
fixed up before the clock shall strike
IL on that night of centennial transition
is the expulsion of war by the power of
| arbitration. Within the next three
years we ought to have, and hope will
have, what might be called "a jury Of
nations" which shall render verdict on
all controverted international ques-
tions. All civilized nations are ready
for it. Great Britain with a standing
army of 100000 men, France with a
standing army of $4,000 men, Ger
many with standing army Of 100000
| men, Russia with standing army of
900 900 men. Europe with standing
armies of about 100000 men, the
United States proposing standing
army of 100000 men. What glorious
idea, that of disarmament! What an
emancipation of nations and centuries!
The car of Russia last summer pro-
posed it in world resounding manifesto.
Disarmament! What an inspiring
and Heaven descending through. In
some quarters the cars manifesto was
treated with derision. and we were told
that he was not in earnest when he
made it. know personally that he did
mean it. Six years ago he expressed to
me the same theory in his palace at
Peterhof. he then being on the way to
the throne. not yet having reached it.
His father, Alexander ILL.,. then on the
throne, expressed to me in his palace
the same sentiments of peace, and his
wife, the then empress. with tears in
her eyes, said. in reply to my remarks:
Your majesty, there will never be an
other great war between Christian ma
tions." "Ah, hope there never will be.
II there should ever be another great
war, am sure it will not start from this
palace"
What boon to the world if Russia
and Germany and England and the
United States could safely disband all
their standing armies and dismantle
their fortresses and spike their guns!
What uncounted millions of dollars
would be saved, and. more than that,
what a complete cessation of human
slaughter! What an improvement of
the morals of nations! What an adop-
ton of that higher and better manifesto
which was set to music ard let down
from the midnight heavens of Bethle-
hem ages ago! The world has got to
come to this. Why not make it the
peroration of the nineteenth century?
Are we going to make 4 present to the
twentieth century Of reeking hospitals
and dying armies and hemisphere
graveyards? Do you want the hoofs
Of other cavalry horses on the breasts
Of fallen men? Do you want other har-
vest fields quilted with wheels Of gun
carriages? Do you want the sky glar
ing with conflagration Of other home
steads? All. this nineteenth century
has seen enough of war. Make the de-
termination that no other century shall
be blasted with it.
Will ii rot be grand II on the first day
of the twentieth century the last will
and testament OF the nineteenth GEN.
fury shall be opened and it shall be
found to read: SIN the name of God.
amen. I. the dying century. do make
this my last will and testament. give
and bequeath to my heir, the twentieth
century, peace of nations; swords,
which l direct to be beaten int plow-
shares, and spears, which must be
turned into pruning hooks; armories.
to be changed into schoolhouses and
fortresses to be rebuilt into churches.
and order that greater honors be put
on those who save life than upon those
who destroy it. And if amid the uni
versal peace now attained those two
nations, Spain and Turkey. do not stop
their cruelties, let the other nations.
banded together. extemporize police
force to wipe those countries off the
map Of nations as wet sponge wipes
from boys slate at school hard sum
in arithmetic. This last will sign and
seal and deliver on the 31st day of De-
cember, in the year of our Lord 19Go
all the civilized nations of earth and all
the glorified nations of Heaven. witness
ing"
But what we do as individuals, as
churches, as nations. as continents, we
must do very soon. if we want the trans
ition from century to century to be a |
worthy transition, for hear the trum-
pets Of the approaching century and the |
Gathering hoofs of the host it leads on
1t has been a custom in all Christian
lands for people to keep watch night |
as an old year goes out and new year
comes in. People assemble in churches |
about ten o'clock of that last night of |
the old year, and they have prayers and
songs and sermons and congratulations |
until the hands of the church clock al |
most reach the figure 12. and then ali |
bow in silent prayer, and the scene is
nightly impressive. until the clock in
the tower of the church or the clock in |
the tower Of the city hall strikes IT,.
and then all rise and sing with sm;i.ng
face and jubilant voice the grand dox-
ology. and there is shaking of hands
all around. i
But what tremendous watch night
the world is soon to celebrate! This
century will depart at IL o'clock of the
3lst of December of the year 1900.
What night that will be. whether
tariff or moonlit or dark with tenn
pest! 1t will be such sight as you and
never saw. Those who watched the
)pming in of the nineteenth century
hg ago went to their pillows of dust.
ERE and there one will see the new
Injury arrive who saw this century.
they were too infantile to appre-
E the arrival. But on the watch
Of which speak in all neighbor-
and towns and cities and CONT
audiences will assemble and bow
ger. waiting for the last breath
wing century, and when the
Sfril-- Shora I~o j