The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-15
FIFTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
FOR PUBLIC DEFENSE.

FOR PUBLIC DBF6NSBo
War isa terrible thing las everybody
knoWs.) Men, MANNED or disabled for
life, az q result of the one more than
thirty years ago r still to be seen,
and cemeteries all over nj land still
bring before US undeniable evidence Of
it's horrors.
Yet the way to avert war is to b9
prepared for it, and>we are glad to see
that Congress last week voted fifty mil
lion dollars for public defence. This
IAmount is to be expended at the direc-
ton of President Mckinley, and is to
remain available until January 1, 1899.
Probably very little of this sum will be
used. The resolution was introduced
by Representative Cannon chow appro
pirate y and passed the House without
q dissenting vote-311 to 0. The next
day it passed the Senate also without
q dissenting vote Sc to 0. We find
gratifying evidence Of the decadenCe Of
sectionalism in the fact that Exon
federates We'd with their Northern
brethren in announcing their patriot
ism and in doing all in their power to
have coasts properly defended in
case of var
Representative Cannon, the author
Of the bill says:
"Some may say that this is q war
appropriation. I say, in my judgment,
measuring my words, that it is a peace
appropriation. In conclusion, the Gov.
eminent of the United States cannot
afford to do more or less than will pro
tect the National honor, justice, and
the right. The Government of the
United States would not, il it could,
trench upon the just rights of any
other nation on earth"
We have never believed that war
would result from the Maine explosion,
and we have simply smiled to read the
sensational statements of some editors
that war would probably be declared
before their next issue. Congressman
Linney, of this State, made a brief
talk on the bill.
"Mr. Speaker" he said, yesterday
was q day of discord and strife in this
body. [Lsughter.] We had nine roll
calls on a District Of Columbia bill.
To day we stand as one man. Why's
Because as American citizens we may
be partisan, but, emulating the example
Of the great and lamented Judge Doug
las when q great emergency was on,
the country in 1861, in a great emer-
gercy like this we must be patriots.
Therefore we stand as @ unit to day.
Every possible phase Of political opin-
ion is represented upon this floor, and
yet on the roll call that is to come
something will happen that probably
has not happened in a quarter of q
century before-every man will answer
yea"
Congressman Fowler said: "Mr.
Speaker, 1 trust there is to be no war,
but il it should be necessary for our
people to again go to war, I wish to
say that no people upon this globe, no
people in the United States will be truer
than the SONS of North Carolina. I in
woke the history Of the past to prove
that our people are a conservative peo-
pie. They want no war to day, but if
war be necessary, they stand to day as
they have stood in the past, ready to
furnish their quota Of men and quota
of means. The same spirit lives to day
in North Carolina that lived there in
1775, when the fathers drew and
adopted the Mecklenburg Declaration
of Independence. They were the first
in this country to declare that they
would no longer stand British oppres,
zion. Applause They want no war
to day; they want no war for the sake
of war; but when it shall become neces
sary to protect our National honor,
when it shall be necessary to preserve
the glory of our National banner, no
people will be more ready to step to
the front than will be the SONS of North
Carolina"
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