The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-04-18
CARL SCHURZ
lie Points Out the Dangers Of MiliIar
ism In a Democracy.

Philadelphia before the American
Academy Of Political and Social Sci
ence His subject was Militarism and
Democracy.
Mr.. SchurZ treated the subject of
m litarsm in the United States as in
timately connected with warlike enter
prises He set forth in his address that
the development Of militarism in Eu-
ropean states may be explained on the
theory that each power may think the
largest possible armaments necessary
for the protection Of its safety among
its neighbors and FOR the preservation
Of peace.
With Us, " he said, " sue a motive
cannot exist. Not needing large arm
aments for our safety-for this repub-
lie If it maintained its old traditional
policy. would be perfectly safe without
them-we can need them only in the
service OF warlike adventure undertaken
at our own pleasure, for whatever pur
pose. Aud here | may remark, by the
wy, that IN my opinion, although
such course of warlike adventure may
have begun with desire to liberate
and ciyillze certain foreign popula-
tions, it will be likely to develop itself f,
unless soon checked into downright
and reckless policy Of conquest with all
the criminal aggression and savagery
such policy implies
WARLIRE ADVENTURE AND MLITAR
ISM
" Al any rate, that policy Of waTlike
adventure and militarism will with Us
< together rs essentially identical.
Without the policy Of wlrike aiven-
turc large standing armaments would
with ms have no excuse and would not
be tolerated. II we continue that pol
icy, militarism, with its characteristic
evils. VIII be inevitable. If we wish
TO escape those evils and to protect this
democracy against their dangerous ef-
fects, the policy Of warlike adventure
must I've given up, for the two things
are inseparable.
There has, indeed. Of late been
mach talk about tine necessity Of en-
larging the field Of our foreign COM
merce and Of large armaments, and even
Of the ACQUISITION Of foreign territory to
sustain our commercial interests in for
eign quarters But while that talk
was going on our commerce was very
extensively enlarging its foreign fields
without big fleets and without colonies
by its own peaceful action. We simply
produced, in our factories as well on
our farms, more things that other ma
| tions wanted, and could offer them at
prices with which other nations could
not compete This golden key Of in
dustrial progress and peaceful CONNER
cial methods opened to our trade many
doors which seemed to be closed against
it by all sorts Of artificial distractions.
and this peaceful expansion of our for
eign commerce went steadily on while
other nations that had an overabund-
ance Of battalions, batteries and war
ships vainly struggled to keep pace
with it, These are facts, undenled and
undeniable.
" FOREIGN RULE = ODiOUs.'
4" But we are told that there are GER
tain populations in distant lands to
whom it is our duty to carry the bless
ings of liberty and civilization, and
that this may require larger armies and
more warships.
I'VE may wonder why not only in
the Philippines, but even among the
people of Porto Rico and of Cuba, our
benevolent intentions should meet with
so much sullen disfsvor The reason is
simple. We bring to those populations
the intended benefits in the shape OF
foreign rule, and of all infections for
eign rule is to them the most odious, as
under similar circumstances it would
be to us.
We have already seen in the Phil
ippines the beginning-for it is mere
beginning of the resistance to foreign
rule by one of our liberated peoples-a
bloody game far from exhilaratiDg. By
vigorous application Of our superior
killing power we may expect to beat
and disperse Aguinaldo's army, but it
is by NO means unlikely that more in
surrections against foreign rule will
follow. They may be suppressed too.
but the surviving spirit Of them will
oblige us TO keep much stronger forces
on the ground than we ever anticipated,
in constant apprehension Of further
mischief. Our rule will continue to be
foreign rule then with the favor OF
bloody record.
"wAR MAKES CIVIC cowARDs."
blood spilled for ones country On
the battle field is often taken to sanctl-
fy and to entitle to popular support any
cause. however questionable. IL IS
called treason to denounce such cause,
be it ever so bad 1t is called patriotism
to support it. however strongly consci'
ence may revolt against 1t. Take, FOR
instance, the man who honestly be-
lieyes our war against the Filipinos to
be unjust II that man, faithfully
obeying the voice Of his conscience,
frankly denounces that war, and there.
by risks the public station he many oc-
cupy and the friendship of his neigh
bors, and resolutely meets the clamor
vilifying him as craven recreant and
an enemy to the republic, he is, moral
ly, surely no less hero than the SOL