The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-06-21

rights In the uni5nl How much
better 1t would have been If WE bad
done this two years ago-how inf
nitely more urgent that we do IL
nowl Thirty-five years ago, Abra-
ham Lincoln, standing on the thres-
hold of his second term as president,
and unknowingly In the vallev of
the shadow. looked down the broad
avenue of peace, prosperity and con-
tentment which he believed this ma
tion should pursue from that time
on; and this Is the heritage he left to
those who should come after him, as
the guiding star of our domestic and
foreign policy:
"With malice toward none, with
charity for all, with firmness in the
right as God gives US to see the
right, let us finish the business we
are in; to bind up the nations
wounds; to care for him who shall
have borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphans; to do all
that may achieve and cherish a just
and lasting peace among ourselves
and with all nations"
Analyze that utterance in the light
of modern imperialism. with
malice toward none"-is that our
policy in the Philippines "With
charity for all''-is that our policy
in Porto Rico? "Let us finish the
business"--What business? To en-
bark in wars of conquest? TO aban-
don the opportunities of the land we
live in for the "business chances" of
lands where others live? No. 1t is
to finish the business we are in. Is
it to mako new wounds or tear old
ones asunder, to make new veterans
new pensioners, new widows, new
sacrifices? No. 1t is to bind up
the Nations wounds, to care for him
who shall already have borne the
battle. Is it to undertake an inter-
national career which invites per-
petual threat of foreign war? No.
1t is to "do all that may achieve and
cherish just and lasting peace
among ourselves and with all ma
tions.''
The Imperialism of industry
otherwise the trusts-and the i'm
perialism of arms falsely called
Expansion" lis hard task-master.
Its promoters are the enemies of
mankind. They are telling the
youth of the land that the shoulder
strap is more to be desired than the
diploma. They are raising the cry
to "stand by the president" when
no man can stand by him moment
without jumping from one platform
to another. They are invoking the
patriotism of the people to destroy
the very foundations Of patriotism
They are draping the flag around 8
| golden calf and asking you to fall
down and worship it. They hre tel.
ling you the constitution is "obse-
lete" and the Declaration of indie
pendence "written for an OCCASION
They are doing all they can to re
move the possibility of "a just ant
lasting peace among ourselves ant
with all nations"
t To defeat and confound the ene-
, mics of popular government is thu
, mission of democracy. We shall dt
it now or fail hereafter. The repub
, lie cannot temporize with the EN-
pire. The fight we are in means
life to one or death to both. No di
vision of opinion can prevent patri
otic men from uniting on the propo
! sltion that the union must be pre-
3 served. During the civil war ther
3 was song that at one time o
+ another has touched the heart o
every man and woman in this audi
ence-"The Union forever! Hurrah
, Boys, Hurrah!'' And today natiol
that knows no north, no south, n,
east, no west, repeats In the sam
words, with the same enthusiasm
with the same reverent devotion
with the same stern purpose--Th
J. Union Forever!"