New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-29
COMNON-SENSE IN ORDER.

COMMON-SENSE IN ORDER.
One lesson which was thoroughly learned by
the generation in charge Of things thirty-seven
years ago, though only after some difficulty and
delay might wisely be taught by them in each
household or business institution to those Of the
younger generation, and by that generation
learned as quickly as possible. 1t is most sim
pie; merely that 1t does not pay to wear out
Cne's life by worrying about delays or uncer-
taintes every day. and taking counsel Of unrea-
soning fear instead Of common-serse. War al
ways means delay. There never yet was an
Amy or navy handled half so vigorously as the
stay-at-homes would have handled 1t. The men
who know what details have to be provided.
what difficulties have to be overcome, what pre-
cautions have to be taken in order TO move with
vigor toward anything but destruction, are al
ways slower than the good people who know
less.
War is also always uncertain. Nobody can
tell Just what may happen any day. That Is the
meaning Of war. and if d man racks his soul and
wears his body worrying about all the POSSIBLE
tiles he can conceive. he will be worth little 10
himself or anybody else. For there are all the
time ten thousand possibilities which are ex
tremely improbable that 1t Is a waste Of life to
take them into account AT all. Some persons are
killed every year by bricks falling from the tops
of four-story buildings. but the man would be an
object Of contempt rather than pity who should
on that account insist Oh always walking In the
gutter or the middle Of the street. In war com
mon sense at once eliminates almost all Of the
ten thousand possibilities, because they are too
improbable to be worth noting.
For instance. the dwel,ers In little hamlet
along the seashore who discover that they have
no fort or feet to defend them. and that a Span
ish feet might cone and lombard the place.
might proftably consider how many defenceless
POINTS there are how Impossible 1t Is for any
feet 10 lombard one In a thousand Of them and
how absurd 1t is to suppose that an enemy
would waste shot and incur enormous risk In
troubling the places of small importance when
far more could be accomplished elsewhere. Also
they might consider that any hostile feet along
the coast must be aware that, If moving along
or within sight Of the coast for any time, II
would soon he outnumbered and overpowercd
by vessels gathered by dispatches from all along
the coast, and therefore 1t cannot afford TO
make known its proximity anywhere until 1t can
accomplish something worth the risk. The risk
is UNNECESSARILY increased by the fact that
hostile feet could never get back ut all II 1t tar
red long in hostile waters after consuming a
large part Of its coal supply in crossing the At
lantic.
Another dream Is that great Spanish fleet
may be sent swiftly to the Pacific, there to play
the mischief with the American squadron, de-
stroy American merchantmen and seize the Ha-
wailan Islands. II has just been solcmnly ar
gued that Hawaiian annexation is necessary, as
for other reasons II really Is, because without II
the islands may at any time be seized by Spain.
But Spanish feet cannot round Cape Horn or
the Cape Of Good Hope and cross the Pacific or
the Indian Ocean without stopping somewhere
for coal and being 90 watched that It's destina-
ton would be known a month before It could