Willmar tribune., 1900-10-20

ing of drum. There was flaring of
rocket and roaring of cannon. There
were feasts aud professions, speeches
and toasts, special balls and extra
prayer meetings. Flowers and flags
and Bibles and pincushions were pre-
sented. The miscellaneous lot of
young fellows who had enlisted
mainly from love of advt nture-
were told that they were patriots and
saints and heroes. The schOOlbOy
who was but "kid" yesterday, and
whom a schoolma' am might have
"stood on the floor" for whispering,
was embraced by weeping veterans
and was assured by the politician.
orator that he was to be classed in
history with Washington and Napol-
con. 1t was great!
ing, did their duty As they had con-
tracted to do, did it nobly and we'll.
The volunteers had promised to obey
and fight, and fight and obey they did.
They acquitted themselves as men.
The volunteers returned. Again we
had season Of spreadeagleism. How
we all gazed iu rapt admiration on
those bronzed youths who to US were
the paraguns Of all heroes of song and
story: but who in the course of brief
week or two to be just ordinary labor
ers and students, lawyers and brick
makers, farmers and tramps. Wei
were all intoxicated with glory.
Nov, when the war and the volun-
teers are forgotten for the exploits of
the regular soldiers and the "rebel-
lion'; now, when the intoxication is
over, let US think few sober Thoughts
on the subject.
First. what does war do for the war;
vior?
The soldier in war has experiences
that come to few men in peace. The
soldiers business is to kill his fellow
man. His eye has aimed the musket
at the hearts of human beings. His
hand has experienced how it feels to
jab cold steel into the entrails of a
living man. WARM human blood
squirting from living, or rather dying,
fountains by the quart and the gal
lon, is among the ''scenery" he has
enjoyed. He has seen at wholesale
what in civilized countries in peace is
seen only by the butcher, the under
taker, and the hangman, and even by
these only at retail. What must be
the effect on the soldier?
Yes. the effect!
In the average man such expert
ences will awaken the tiger, wolf, and
hyena instincts that in civil life have
slumbered since our ancestors were
barbarians. Scratch a Russian and |
you will find a Tartar, is the old
proverb. Alas! it is also true in a !
wider application. A very slight abra-
sion will discover under the skin of
the verage civilized man
a Rowling, Feroeious Savage.
War is almost certain to make weaker
and less developed characters revert
to the nature of the beast of prey.
No one shall accuse me of being an
extremist. I prefer to present my
views rather as conservative scholar
who Is so anxious to preserve scieu-
tifc moderation that he rather would |
make his statements lacking in vigor
than in absolute, unquestionable
truth. Not a streak of partisan
calamity howl shall be permitted in
this article. Hence say repeatedly
above that 1 refer only to the AVER,
AGE character. But I might we'll have
made my statement stronger. Many |
an extraordinary man has had his
character brutalized by war. Not be- !
cause be is republican. candidate,
but because he is one of the few men
who have put themselves on record,
let us for a moment study the effect of
war on the character of
Col. Theodore Roosevelt,
the gallant commander of the Rough !
Riders. Some of his statements in his
book, ''The Rough Riders," fairly
took my breath away. can scarcely |
yet believe my own eyes. Much of the
book is .noble and inspiring. We see
the able, fearless and cultured gentle
man on almost every page. But there
are amazing alterations here and
there that remind one of the swash.
buckler, the coarse. bully, and the
pirate. Thus he takes pains to inform
US that at times he swore at his
troops. See page 13O, ''The Rough
Riders, !" by Col. Theodore Roose-
velt.) This we admit is1a minor fault,
and if the only one, might we'll have |
been passed over in silence. Though
all decent society proscribes profane i
language, and though certainly Col.
Roosevelt moves in a circle that is [
far above the line of mere decency,
still I suppose it would be too much
~ a ~ .,f mo q y 1,,,Y,, a :, !, a /, No, ~,