The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-07-20

i
Then the writer speaks Of Germany.
Great Britain. Russia, France, Japan
and the United States as the gigantic
| policemen" that are to compel the
smaller powers to behave themselves
and observe the laws of civilization
and humanity" How beautiful the
world must have grown OF late! Just
think Of it! Most of the powers named
are vast aggregations of robbery COM
mitted during the course of ages. Rus
STA, with its knout and Siberian dun
geons; Germany with it's broken treat
les; Great Britain of Hindoo-shooting
and opium fame; France with its
ceaseless internal dissentions; heather
Japan, and the United States, which
seems to be on the eve of entering on
the same course of robbery as the other
great powers; these are the policemen"
who are to compel the smaller powers
to behave themselves and observe the
laws of civilization and humanity
The writer does not explain why it is
the smaller powers that need especially
to be looked after; nor does he explain
who is to look after the morals OF the
six great powers. Just now Russia has
appeared at the disarmament con-
gress'' reeking from fresh act of per-
jury and broken faith. Downtrodden
Finland is bearing witness that prin-
cipal meber of the proposed great police
fraternity seriously needs to be taught
to observe the laws of civilization and
humanity" Who will set the immense
armies in action to teach the required
lesson? Not long ago hundreds of thous-
ands of Christians in Armenia cried to
heaven for mercy and justice. Where
was the police force then?
Right here let it be observed that
while Russia at one end of the police
force forbids the printing of extracts
from the bible because they denounce
acts of perfidity and despotism, the ad-
the other end are too refined and chaste
(?) to permit similar extracts and
others denouncing prevailing vices to
appear in their columns. In view of the
mentioned disregard of the counsels of
the fathers of our republic, we may
justly exclaim with the sage Agur, Cor.
30, 11:14: There is a generation that
| curseth their father, and doth not bless
their mother. There Is a generation
that are pure in their own eyes, and
yet is not washed from their filthiness.
There is generation, o, how lofty are
their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted
up. There is generation whose teeth
are as swords, and their javs-eeth as
knives to devour the poor from off the
earth, and the needy from among men"
When the revolutionary fathers es-
tablished republican form of govern
ment, and also refused to establish a
large standing army, it was because
they thought it safe to trust to purely
humane impulses" At any rate, they
correctly argued, that If men could not
be trusted with the management of
their own affairs, the management
thereof could still less be entrusted to
single person or coterie of persons.
For reserve power to enforce human
DEGREES" they trusted to the patriotism
and uprightness of the common people.
This reserve power has proved amply
sufficient during the 1923 years Of our
existence as a nation. 1t may not prove
oia I~i,1 "a
Filipinos or the repetition of Pennsyl-
vania massacres. But the Tribune writ
er thinks that the said reserve power is
trained and disciplined armies; officer
and humanitarian impulses, whose in
f1uence upon the men under their COM
mand is elevating and who can be bet
ter trusted to pursue a just and merci-
peril than could the leaders of an in
surrectionary mob" How would the
men at Lexington and Bunker Hill, Of
ficered by men like Prescott and Put
wards took the command, have relished
the appelation IAN insurrectionary
mob?" Standing armies have always
hitherto been regarded as hotbeds of
corruption and immortality. The main
tenance of 20 millions of soldiers also
means the maintenance of about the
same number of prostitutes. When the
Tribune writer speaks of the "elevat-
ing" influence of the officers upon the
men under their command, he does not
seem to have the least idea that he is
perpetrating the most stunning joke
that has ever seen daylight during the
time of the present generation. In
Europe this "elevating" influence of the
officers has principally exhibited itself
during the drill of the soldiers in curses
and imprecations as innumerable as
Egyptian grasshoppers, and at other
times in acts too beastly to be detailed
in decent paper. Nor have these "ele-
vating' deeds of high and low offers
lost any Of their influence for want of
publicity. One commander-in-chi OF
the armies of two European countries
was seen to enter brothels with. a harlot
under his arm, and when his men, who