Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-02-14

What does he know Of Swedish Ills.
tory who laimss that is past great
ness consisted in land grabbing wars?
Nothing. The first day that Sweden.
appeared in the annals Of European
history as hrstr class power was
when the noble Gustavus Adolphus
defeated the hordes of religious OBJ
preston led by Gen. lilly at Breiten-
felt. He embarked with his small
army and landed on German soil, not
for purposes ofconquest. but tt, sue
cor those who were denied freedom of
conscience. The glory OF that war
overtops the glory Of all other Swed-
ish wars. zi,$s % - IT,
But for 100 years after that war the
Swedish people sacrificed blood and
treasure in enormous quantities mere
ly to satisfy the lust for conquest
that characterized so many of their
kings. On the plains OF Poland, on
the icy steppes of Russia, in Norway's
mountains, the Swedes bled and suf-
fered and died-not for any grand
principle, but because her kings we're
possessed by the insane idea that con-
quest makes q great country. The
best and strongest aof her men were
sacrificed, and the decrepit and the
young had to labor at home almost
necessarily to furnish the sinews Of
the war, meanwhile almost starving
themselves. The darkest period to
the common people of Sweden is from
the ascension of Charles x to the de-
throning of Gustavus w. When the
last OF her conquests was wrested from
her, Sweden got time and opportunity
and mento develope her own resources.
She has advanced more in population,
wealth and education since 1910 than
she had done in the preceding 1900
years. That is'what peace has done
for Sweden. The Swedes may admire
the indomitable courage of their ancest-
ors during the period@of conquest, but
they know too we'll the fearful cost of
it to desire imperialism aud militarism
in this country.
"With their love of the sea and with
| Swedish ships and Swedish sailors in
every ocean carrying and extending
commerce, will expansion brighten
| them?"
Commercialexpansion will not fright
en- them. But they know that the COM
MERGE Of this country has expanded
until it has eclipsed all other nations
without resorting to increase it by fire
and sword, and they are 10th to see
this country abandon the path in
which it's trade has expanded and is
expanding and load itself down with
Imperialism and militarism which is
the curse of all other nations on
earth.
"Will little standing army of
IS, 600 for seventy million people fore
When it is used to subject a people
weaker than we, yes. Besides, McKin-
ley asked for 100, 900 men, but did not
get them because there were enough
men still prominent in Congress who
knew the dangers of standing armies.
The Swedes as we'll as all other citiz-
ems are justified in looking upon the
late increase of the standing army as
only a beginning. When the country
goes into the imperialistic business, it
will not wish to be second to any 9TH
er power in point of an efficient army.
The writer concludes az follows:
The Swedes are loyal, are brave,
are progressive, are natural pioneers
OF the sea, have always been pioneers
IN commerce, have pride in the army
and navy, a respect for their govern
ment and an independence that GER
tainly proves that they will not follow
John Lind merely for his personal ag-
grandizement, for his personal am
billions, and vote for him as against
their Unborn convictions and their
steadfastness in their beliefs. He has
misjudged his own people,"
John Lind has never posed as
leader of the Swedes. He has never
tried to use his nationality as ameans
OF boosting himself into Office. He
hasn't asked for their support simply
because he was Swede, so the above
is an uncalled for fling at the govern
or. But If the attributes of Swedish
character enumerated above do not
force more of them to leave the repub-
lican party when they become fully
alive to its new tendencies, then we
have mi-judged the Swedes. They will
certainly not be whipped into line by
such men as Mitchell and Wharton to
support something that repudiates the
republicanism of Lincoln, nor will
they tolerate that the high aims and
glory of the great men of the past in
the nation of their birth be traduced
by paralelling the present sordid en-
terprises in the subsection of poor
Malay tribes, struggling for relief
from religious oppression, with the
glorious achievements of the '!'boys in
blue'' Of the 'sSnow King of the N orth"
who gave religious liberty to North
ern Europe. - .-4.
LOYALTY TO THE REPUBLIC BEFORE
+ LOYALTY 70 PARTY.