The times., 1898-02-28
WHERE OUR REAL. DANGER LIES.
All Interesting Discourse Delivered
at the Peoples Church.

Of Where Our Real Danger Lies.
The speaker referred. in opening, to the
interest manifested by the whole civilized
world in the investigation at Havana.
An interest he said due to the fact
that the findings of the committee may
result in war with Spain which would
materially affect the commercial inter
ests of all other nations.
AS yet" he said, man is largely q
fighting animal and the prospect of a
conflict between two great nations is sure
to command his interest the wide world
over Then. too. war is spectacular. ana
appeals to the senses in a way that in
dustrial and social changes do not The
loss Of a few hundred lives by the blow
ing up of the Maine has awakened more
sympathy for the victims and more wrath
against the supposed offenders than the
consuming distress of millions of half
paid workers, or the slow starvation of
hundreds Of thousands who cannot get
work at all. And yet the distress of the
former and the slow starvation of the lat
ter involve suffering tmmeasurably great
er than that which came to the victims
of the Maine disaster Even those who
are crippled for life have the satisfac-
ton Of knowing that their wounds We're
received at the post of duty and in their
country's service. and that the sympathy
of the whole nation is with them in their
hour of trial.
The miserable men and women against
whom the doors of Industrial opportunity
.ir 4
tered, unfed and almost unclad. in the
cold, have no consultations of this kind
No one looks upon them as heroes. suf-
fering in their country's cause They
are tramps, and patpers and made such
we are told. by their own idleness. dissi-
patton and unthrift and therefore ought
To suffer. True of multitudes. we con-
fess, but hundreds Of thousands are as
temperate, frugal and industriously in
clined as any OF us, and yet they cannot
get work to do.
These are as much the victims of the
unscrupulous greed and insane ambition
Of the men who rule in the world Of
industry and finance as the sufferers of
the Maine are supposed 10 be of Spanish
treachery and hate And they were as
powerlesS 10 avert the disaster which has
fallen upon them.
The miserable, selfish policy which has
brought such destitution and wretched-
ness to so many is as utterly repre-
hensible and damnable as that which
brought destruction to the Maine The
great danger which menaces the life Of
this republic does not lie i'm the hatred
cherished by Spain nor in the superiority
Of her navy; nor in the possible com
bination of old-world monarchics 10 de
q.
which are destroying the manhood Of our
people and breaking down their conf
dence in the value of our institutions
evils which are eating the heart out of
loyalty breeding distruSt of the Govern
ment and disresDect for the flag. Let
the Government once again deserve the
confidence Of the people; let il resoutely
enact their will and subserve their in
terests; let II open the way again for
every man and woman I'm the land TO de-
velop the best that is in them and to
give of their best in the reciprocal ey-
changes of the daily life. and no power
which can possibly be brought against
us will be strong enough to prevail. We
have now reached a stage of develonment
when the growth Of population would en-
able us TO keep large armies constantly
in the field, if need required and still in
| crease in numbers and in wealth If all
our idle and partially-empIoyed millions
We're actively engaged they would create
wealth faster than any ordinary war
could consume. it, and in such condition
there would be little danger of our hay-
ing war. No power would dare to at
tack a people happy in their homes. proud
of their country and Government and
loyal 10 their flag
81 deprecate war under any circum-
stances. II is always a terrible thing and
/ yet cannot regard it as the worst of
evils. readiness to barter right and
Justice for money considerations is far
more fatal to the strength and perpett-
ity OF a nation than even the strife and
carnage of war. International law has not
Yet been put upon a moral plane. If
makes damage to property rights sur-
ilclent ground for interference but no de-
gree OF injury to our feelings or outrage
OF our sense of Justice or humanity. can
warrant us in interfering to arrest brlt-
AMY. so long as Spain does not infringe
/ upon American rights she may dead with
CUBA as she pleases. She may nagurate
a war OF determination. She may Den
them up by the thousands and starve
them 10 death almost within sight of our
shores, and We must keep hands off -
This country IS large enough To use its
T power on the side Of freedom and human
ity independent Of precedent If il
would really do 50 il might lead a move
fnent in favor of Just government that
would command the respect and sym
pathy of all civilized peoples
NO nation can preserve its tone of
freedom and humanity and take the
course that we have taken toward the
struggling Ctrbans. Men who revolt
against oppression only when they them
selves are victims will surely turn on
preSsors when the chance occurs Too
many are now Indifferent to the wrongs
of others and ready to perpetuate any
that Will bring them gain or profit. And
right here lies the greatest danger this
R"Bublic has To face: the tendency in
the common life to set ends of personal
gain and personal preferment above the
common veal. One of the redeeming. Q.
things about war is that it tends 10
check this narrowly selfish spirit to take
man out Of himself and make him con-
Secrate himself to country and mankind
u brings his daily life under the shapinp.
influence of higher, worthier motives
Ana 50 II happens. as Ruskin saws. that
nations have always reached their high
est virtue and wrought their most ar-
complished works in times of straiteutuc
ana battle while no nation ever Vet en-
Joyed protracted and triumphant peace
without receiving in it's own bosom in
efadlcable seeds of future decline
he common mOtiNe i'm business is self
ish and sordid. There is no other re
sardlng purpose in it, and so nothing to
Cail man higher nature into play and
billd up aitruistic character But men
who lack in public spirit lack the first
! essentials Of good citizenship. We must