The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-09-30
gheDsmurrat-S Star
PULPIT EDITORIAL.

torial delivered at Trinity Church.
Chicago, on last Sunday took occasion
To rip the government up the back on
the ground that the lIispano.Am cri-
can wal was all a mistake, and unbe-
coming a great country like these
United States. He said:
Zone OF the Sophistic assertions of
the iingocs is just now receiving re-
markablc REPUTATION.
They solcmnly assured us-and
some preachers also took upthe hollow
hereSy-that war Durifcs the atplos-
phcre.' that in tiincS of peace men
grow lax and sordid, and than it needs
an occasional battle to rouse the ma
tional conscience and draw out the
passions OF hcrniSm and s%clf-sacritice
and so on. Thus a thunderstorm
cleanses the air. A charming theory.
How has it worked out? Has the p0-
litical Kettle been relieved of any Of
its stenchcs? Have Self-sccking and
mouey-making been buried in noble
emotion? Has nopntiSm ever flourish
ed more c0nl"mptibly than in the
army appointments of late? Have
merit and worth had any show against
favored sons? Have pulls" been
worked any harder in the last twenty
years than since April, 1898? Have
no greed and petty ambitions feastcd
their fangs into the young army and
poisoned the blood of the volunteers:
Have not contractors supplied rotten
beef to the heroes of Santiagoand has
not the incompetency OF political IA
vorites, appointed for personal ends,
pinched the faces, destroyed the
health and infected the blood of the
soldiers? Has not political sordiduess
slain more American soldiers than did
the Mauser bullets?
"1nstead of entering upon a career
of m~ilitarism, instead Of increasing
our army and navy and thrusting our
i free neck into the yoke of European
folly, it behOoycs us to reply to the
Car, through Our President and Con-
gress, and assure him of our sincere
approval of his proposition. Let us
appoint commissioners to meet with
his. Let us enter heart and soul into
the only European alliance in which
we dare participate-an alliance to let
the pus from the putrid boil of mill
ia rism, to bring the other nations to
our " sensible order. Energy ex-
pended to induce Europe to disarm is
infinitely Of more value than energy
expended to arm ourselves to cope
with her.
1.-Two paths open before us. Shall
we he so stimulated by the brilliant
naval victories of Manila and Santa
90 that we shall rush hcadlong after
the deceptive glories OF battle, or shall
we be SO sobered by the shattered
wrecks of mcn who groan in the fever
camps and by the stricken hearts of
wolne and children whose strength
Of life and light and love was smoth.
cred in the sweltcring trenches of San.
tiago that we conclude with Gen.
Grant that there never Il war that
could not have been better settled
some other way.
''That there are many and complex
difficulties in the way of general dis
armament is patent. 1t will take
years, perhaps decades, to accomplish
such an end, even after two or three
great nations are in favor Of it. But
that the task is difficult is all the
more reason it should be undertaken
with energy. Why could not America
say to older nations: Here am l.,
richer and more reSourccful than any
of you; able to arm a greater force, to
man a grander navy than any of you,
You expect me to do this. But 1t would
be to prolong the wretched burden and
tax of war equipment under which
the world now grOans. Instead OF
arming, | shall disarm, maintaining
only a police force. | shall not invite
conflict with you by preparing for it.
l shall invite peace by peaceful pre-
parations. Come, join with me for a
reign Of law and not Of force. Let us
have an International tribunal to adj
just our disputcs-a tribunal compos-
ed OF representatives from each of us.
Let us each place our army and navy
at the disposal Of this central court.
This is civilization. Thus by one
glorious consccrated act, at the Open.
ing OF the twentieth century, We shall
lift an intolerable load OF taxation
from all people and wipe forever from
the page OF progress the stain of war.
/ stand for the principlcof federation
and representative government, but
will not construe this any longer to
apply only to my domestic concerns.
l now propose a federation with you
all; l propose government by agree.
ment and arbitration instead Of gov
eminent by murder and pillagc,'n
l see some OF the doctors claim the