Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-04-22
Only q Superstition.


A paragraph is going the rounds
which will serve to create belief that
April is an unlucky" month for our
nation that OF the important battles
fought by our troops in that month,
nearly all were attended by defeat. If
it be true, what does it prove? Simply
that chance has brought about
combination OF circumstances which
impresses only superstition with any
thought of these baleful effects upon
present or future results. Though
our armies have suffered repeated de-
feat i'll battle, and important crises
have eliminated in that month which
resulted in armed conflict, they have
only been incidents in contests which
have finally ended in complete success
to our arms. The coincidence that
our great wars have originated in the
first part of the year, is nothing more
than an accord of events noticeably
happening at times, which have given
life to the expression that History
repeats ITSELF" and it can only be re.
garded as an omen of disaster by re-
garding war as an unmitigated evil
even though the most beneficent re.
suits may follow. The battle of Lex
ington, for instance, was fought in
April, and although the British gained
temporary advantage, the action on
that battle-ground aroused the whole
country and the blood there shed nur.
tured the fragile germ of Liberty till
it blossomed forth into lasting indie.
pendence, the fruition of which was a
free nation. The hot.heads in South
Carolina fired on the American flag,
flying over Fort Sumter, in April, 1861,
and found no difficulty in reducing
that comparatively weak fortress, but
the resounding bombardment awak-
ened a chord in the hearts of a patri.
otto people which resulted in a re.
united country that could never have
been possible except by passing through
the fiery ordeal of fraticidal war. AL
though the clash of arms with Mexico
began early in May, 1916, the culmi-
mating events which preceded it al
most place the actual date in the bale
full month. 1t may be, however, that
this narrow margin in some degree &C.
counts for the long succession of VIC
tories to our arms, conspicuous among
which were the defeat of Santa Anna
by Gen. Taylor at Buena Vista and by
Gen. Scott at Cerro Gordo and at the
City of Mexico, followed by an uncon-
ditional surrender and the cession of
New Mexico and California to the
United States.
A casual glance at the pages of our
national history show that quite as
many battles have been lost to our
arms in other months, as in April.
The declaration of war, in our second
conflict with Great Britain, was issued
June 18th, 1872, and was followed by
the surrender of Detroit by Gen. Hull
two months later and by the defeat Of
Gen. Van Rensselaer,, commander of
American forces, by Gen. Brock, at
Queenstown. The close of the year of
1912 was anything but encouraging to
the American forces. although the war
was not begun nor the battles fought
in the fated month of April. A men,
orable instance which disproves the
impression produced that date has
anything to do with the fortunes of
battle is the defeat OF our national
army at Manassas Junction, in the
battle generally known as Bull Run.
This occurred ON the 21st of July
(1S61) in the very month which should
prove propitious as the epoch hal.
lowed by the national holiday.
Many instances might be cited to re-.
move this groundless basis for super
stition, were it necessary, but it is
thought that the facts stated are sufii-
Gent to Danish the unwelcome sugges-
ton that our nation has taken up the
gauntlet of Spain at an inauspicious
time and with prospect of serious
disaster.
persistent advocate of war and bitter
in his denunciations of President Nc.
Kinley for delay in precipitating a
conflict, was accosted by an acquaint-
ance Immediately after the ultimatum
OF evacuation had been issued, with,
"Well, you have your wish; it will be
war; ." Yes" was the tart reply,
but why did old Tin Plate give
them till Saturday to get out OF Cuban"
1t is safe to say that that mans gun
will not be loaded with blank cart.
ridge when he goes to war.
some inquiry has been made WHY
Melha is not to visit Olympia. The
answer is easy: There are not enough
patrons who would be willing to put
up 80 each for seats to make the en-
gagement profitable.