The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-19
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY MEMO"
copyrighted by awe & TABOR

copyrighted 10y awe laUOr.
We all pass through successive ex-
periences and cannot possibly
go back to the time when those
experiences were unmet; the thing
that happens cannot be rendered non
existant. The whole life of a child
and afterwards of the adult is one of
sweeping onward; away from limo
cence to knowledge; away from peace
fulness to trouble; away again per-
chance from trouble onward to quiet
of heart - each varied experience
however leaving its impress. There
is only one certain and sure rule to
follow-make the best of the evil
that befalls; from mistakes learn wis
dom; from righteous deeds gain
strength for further doing.
~
Like man, like nation. The war IS;
and that is an end to all controversy.
Many thousands, like disconnected
children would gladly travel back
ward on the pathway of Time to the
days when Peace rested in the ham
lets of our industrious nation. There
may even be some who regard the
show of force as uncalled for. But
there is no way back to previous con-
ditions. The only way is onward.
Neither is there time nor place for
saying II would have preferred this
or that" The war being waged by
the nation-that includes all of US,
fighters or friends of fighters-all are
part of the nation; so that anything
short of absolute unity of purpose is
seriously wrong. Party feelings
suppressed, party lines more invisible
than ever; individual prejudices sub
ordinated, individual desires nodded
into one great purpose-this is where
we stand to-day. One great duty is
before us; to so vigorously encourage
our government with our hands and
our hearts; to so cheerfully support
it with our taxes direct and indirect
that war undertaken without frenzy
for glory, without lust for conquest,
shall be sharp and disastrous to the
enemies of feeble women and child
rem. That done, we shall again show
the world how nation that believes
in peace, can by the devious paths of
war bring peace-lasting and glorious
to pass. Our sons will then take
up their home work again, and move
on to the next duty. But the war
will not have past without leaving an
impress upon our national life.
~
Let us consider one remarkable di-
rection in which this war has served
to show the progress the world is
making. During the days and
months and years that we have bit
terly felt the wrong that was being
done to our poor neighbors, there has
never been any serious intrusion of
the religious aspect of the case, save
for one or two sets of resolutions by
small bodies of men. No question
has been asked as to the belief of the
poor creatures whose cruel sufferings
have forced us into the worlds arena
as champions of the defenceless. 1t
seems as though we had reached the
common sense attitude of mind when
we believe that a wrong is a wrong,
and wound is pang even though
inflicted on a man that has no belief
at all. 1t seems easy to say, What
you believe, dear suffering one, is moth
ing to me; what you need is my sum
mons to your side" Yet easy though
this is for us to say, it is not so many
years ago, since the purse string of
those who now subscribe to Cuban
relief funds, or who surrender the
darlings, for righteousness sake,
would have felt the kindly effort mis-
placed, perhaps wasted because the
Cubans are staunch Catholics. These
men, for whom we pledge our wealth,
our lives and our honor, cling to a
faith that as far as possible unites the
church and state; they honor the Nir-
gin-though why they should not l
cannot see,--and they have plenti-
full calendar of saints to appeal to.
But Americans, what have we to do