The Irish standard., 1899-05-06

and manufacturing competition is be-
coming struggle for existence fercer
than that which makes nature red with
rapine. Whereas the tendency of true
civilization and religion is to convert
the struggle for life into cooperation
for life, into work of all for all that all
may have those inner goods which make
men wise, holy, beautiful and strong;
whereas, this is the tendency of right
civilization, our greed, our superstitious
belief in money as the only true god and
savior Of man, hurry us on with increas.
ing speed into all the venalities, dis
honesties and corruptions, into all the
tricks and trusts by which the people
are disheartened and impoverished. We
are hypnotized by the glitter and glare,
the pompous circumstance of wealth,
and are becoming incapable OF a rational
view Of life. We have lost faith for
simple things and simple ways. We flee
from the country as from desert and
find self-forgetfulness only amid the
noise and rush of great cities, where
high thought and pure affection are we'll
nigh impossible.
"If it is our destiny to become an en-
pire, it is not our destiny to endure as
a republic. Empire and imperialism are
associated with kingly and arbitrary
rule, with militarism and conquest. Was
not the Roman empire built on the ruins
of the republic? Was it not made pos
sible by the general loss OF virtue and
patriotism, by the luxury and corrup-
ton which the stolen wealth of hun
dred cities had spread through Rome?
1t is only when the inner sources of life
run low that men rush madly to gain
possession of external things. When
the real good of life escapes us, money
and what money buys seems to be all
that is left. Then men become towards,
liars and thieves. They cringe and fawn
and palter. They worship success. They
call evil good and good evil. They have
no convictions which are not lucrative,
no opinions which are not profitable.
Then all things are for sale, then dema-
gogues are heroes, then opportunities
for plunder are welcome, then the best
policy is that which wins most votes and
most money.
"But we are told that imperialism has
proved blessing to Great Britain. In
this matter there is no parity between
England and the United aStates. The
more we hold aloof from England the
better shall it be for America. She has
not an ally in the world and there is
probably not nation in the world which
would trust her as an ally. She has
never loved us from the days in which
she oppressed the colonies to the dark
days when, by aiding the Confederacy,
she sought to make the disruption of the
Union permanent. She does not love
us now. We are the most dreaded rival
she has, because we threaten her su-
premacy in what is nearest and dearest
to her-her finances. She is confronted
by difficulties and dangers of various
kinds from which we are free. An alli-
ance with her would involve us in the
difficulties and dangers by which she is
confronted and from which we are free.
| We need neither her advice nor her as
sistance. The praises which she now
bestows on us, were they sincere, would
be superfluous; but since they are given
with the design of drawing US into an
imperialistic policy and troublesome en-
tanglements, they are insidious and in
sulting. Our wisest statesmen have al
ways been opposed to miitarism as a
menace to our liberties. We want Moth
ing more than the nucleus of an army,
| nothing which shall serve as a means
of conquest at home or abroad; and for
my own part l think powerful navy a
danger rather than a protection. So
long as we are content to devote our
selves to the tasks which God has set
us we can have nothing to fear even
from coalition OF the powers of Eu-
rope, were such thing possible.
"We do not need a large standing
army or great navy either for con-
guest or self-defense. They are not
necessary, as they would be dangerous
to Our peace and liberty. There was a
time in our history when the general
government seemed to be too weak and
the states too strong. That condition
of things passed away with the close Of
our Civil war, when the executive
seemed to acquire new quality which
clothed him with almost dictatorial pow
err. With ourselves, as in the rest Of
the civilized world, there is a drift to-
ward socialism. We must face the great
problems thus raised with faith in our
political principles and with confidence
i'll the good sense and honesty of the
people. To seek refuge in the interven-
tion of a standing army, under the COM
nand OF quasi dictator, or emperor, is
to enter in the way of anarchy and ruin
"On many sides there is evidence Of
moral decadence. Religion is losing its
hold on the masses, respect for those
who fill positions of authority is dimin-
ishing, the rights OF property are be-
coming less sacred, the marriage tie is
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