The record-union., 1898-08-21
THE SOURCE OF REAL STRENGTH

Professor Gunton, in his magazine TOR
August, considers intelligently and fairly
the question whether militarism or IN
dustrialism is power We should scarce
w think there was room for debate on
such a question. By militarism we
understand the dominance of military
power and spirit, and that we take II
no student of civilization will estimate
as true power, since, as Professor Gun-
ton points out, life of militarism gives
obedience and discipline, but 1t does
not give the background of intelligence
and patriotism that characterizes
well-fed, progressive, prosperous and
intelligent citizenship.
The case Of the United States in this
war astonishes the world. What Eu-
rope conceived to be our weakness has
proved our strength, namely, the in
telligence. vigor and soldierly quality of
the fighting, independent-bred citizen Of
the Republic. We have it from Mr..
Church in the Review of Reviews" !"
who was a close critic of the battles
in the province of Santiago, that the
volunteers fought with equal courage,
adaptability and resolution side by side
with the regulars, lacking only the par
ticulars gained alone by long service.
The maintenance of a large regular
army by the United States is not mill
tarism, 1t does not even point in that
direction, for the regulars are, after all
volunteers. They are not the product
of a system which treats every male
youth as first fruit for the army, and
compels his service in it, precedent to
entry upon any other walk in life.
The military chiefs of the United
States, drawn from the humblest walks
Of citizenship most often, never have
been, and under our system, never can
become the dangerous power that the
military chiefs of France are to that
nation, defying the courts, snubbing
the civil authority, and maintaining, in
fact, government within a govern
ment, the former threatening and die
tating to the latter.
The orderly efficiency, the rapidity
Of mobilization, and the trustfulness of
the American military arm summoned
from the citizenship of the land, sur
prised not Europe alone, but a good
many of our own, who have been ac-
customed to look upon the "tin soldier"
with contempt. This same tin soldier
has demonstrated that he is true
metal; an uncut stone, perhaps, but
not the less of first water. He has not
proved. as was prophesied insubordi-
nate, non-susceptible to discipline, or
lacking in any element Of valor.
So. as Professor Gunton has well said,
we have proved civilization unarmed
the stronger than barbarism armed.
We might amend it by saying than
Imperialism armed where the
masses are held beneath the military
heel
All this shows, not only with US, but
to the world, that two things have oc-
Cured in this country under the indus
trial regime, with more than a half
century Of non militant policy. viz,
that the wealth development of the
country has produced citizenship that
has intelligence and energy never de-
veloped by a mere military policy.
1t is worth while to know, says Profess
sor Gunton, that we have demonstrated
that poverty is weakness and wealth is
strength; that strength does not con-
sist in the unrelenting orders of a
Kaiser, but in the patriotic impulse
and characterful determination of
well-fed citizens, and he should have