The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-07-28
INTER- NATIONAL
ARBITRATION.
THE WAY 10 SETTLE DIFFER
ENCES.
Present-Day Thoughts.
BY G. GROsyENOR DAVE.
Present-Day Thoughts.
BY G. GRosvENoR DAVE.
copyrighted by DAVE & Tabor.)

copyrighted by Dave & Tabor)
There is common sense in Inter
national arbitration. It brings into
existence between nations the same
sweet reasonableness that characterlzes
civilized individuals. Disputes between
men in progressive countries are nc
longer legally settled either by crude
attack with bowie-knife or shot gun, OF
by orderly duel with sword or pistol
Why? Because late-dawnlng common
sense in this benighted old world real
ICES that in such conflicts the wrong
man is likely to be victor on the prin-
cipal that the sneaking house breaker
Is always better prepared tor success
full struggle than the half-awake and
honest, but thoroughly nervous, house
holder. In theory, of course, "the
righteous is as bold as lion in pract-
ice, however, the rending and devour-
ing strength of the king of beasts has
been too often on the opposing side.
F.s
Thus with advancing enlightenment,
we canvass numberless disputes before
a properly constituted tribunal, and
though the laws delays are tedious,
though Judges prove that they are men
by making errors, yet we all concede
that things are better managed than
when "knights we're bold, and barons
held their sway" The glamour OF
fiction still fingers over that period
when the point of a lance was a proof
beyond all questioning but the clear,
real light of modernity shows US that,
| in our day, there are rights to the weak
| and victories to the righteous. This is
advance, and he is benlghted who de-
MES it.
Broaden the thought now, it you
| will, and answer to yourself the ques-
ton. eff my nelghbor and I do we'll
to AVOID blows in dispute, then why
not let my numberless neighDors do
the same when dispute arises with
those of another nation?" A very
reasonable objection will be that per-
lection has not yet beer reached in the
conduct OF individuals or nations.
True. So we sometimes by force COM
pei obedience to the rulings of court
and we often by law use force to stay
the hand OF the quarrelsOme and MUIR
derous. This is all granted, and the
same will be nationally true even
when the common-sense of arbitration
permeates the conscience OF the five
nations of the world. During the
past three weeks we have seen proof of
this in the fact after President Cleyc-
land had arbitrated in dispute between
Italy and the U. S. of Columbia,
Italy was compelled to make a show
OF force in order to secure settlement.
We too since..April 2lst, after all reason
dUl0 ulOdIlS uG1u AdNC OOCA VOiA.
PEELED, at great expense In money and
in men, to do police duty in staying
the slaughtering hand of Spain, that
unprogressive employer of Cortez and
of Pizarro, of Torquemada and OF Wey-
Ter. But as bloody disputes among
men are reaching minimum because
of the sanity shall the same end be
reached among nations. For though
murders still occur and though wars
still rage, yet are they, we believe,
storms whose force is expended, as at
sea, on the surface, while the great cur
rents go on their stately way to mod
crate fierce climates and make them
the happy homes of men.
Starting once more with the initial
statement about common-sense, let us
look abroad for awhile in order to prove
the point. In Europe are four OF the
five great nations that lead the world,
Russia, Germany, France, England.
Notwithstanding their progressiveness
in other directions they seem to be al
flicted with national dementaa by rea-
son OF the rivalry of force. For nearly
twenty years, not one OF them has been
involved in a serious European war
yet throughout all those years, and long
before, Zach of these great powers has
been piling up armaments, increasing
army and navy budgets, multiplying de-
structive forces, and exhaustlng to the
point of protest the pockets OF the great
common people upon whom the burden
of all this falls. What result has ac-
crued? Nothing. They are all rela-
tiyely where they we're at the outset
and as dislnclined as ever to come to q
real test of strength. The vauntlngs
and boastings of Idiots have grim hui
E. C. Blanks, of Lewlsville, Texas,