The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-09-04
rHE AL.xM OF GENERAL MILES.

General Nelson A. Miles sounds an
alarm that ought to be heard by every
citizen in the land. General Miles says
that there is great danger that the Chi
nese situation will lead to a conflict
that will involve all of the powers of
the world. That means the United
States, too. But why all of the powers?
What has the United States to fight
for? Minister Conger has been rescued
and doubtless the Chinese government
will pay for some indignities that were
shown. The amount doesn't approach
the cost of great war a single day,
80 need not be said to enter into the
question. 1t Is stated with a great deal
of confidence by General Miles that
the disruption Of China will be insisted
upon by one or more Of the European
concert and that q great international
war will be the result. General Miles
goes farther and says that this country
will have something to fight for. This
opinion must be taken with consid-
cradle portion of salt. General Miles
Is a warrior. 1t is not related Of war
riors that they have victories in peace
that are mo less renowned than war"
The warrior gets his glory from war.
SO the army and the navy Is always
for war. In that 1t is not safely re-
Elective of public opinion. The nation
has had enough Of war and its stamp
licking compliments. 1t is thoroughly
disgusted with the senseless war Of
determination in the Philippines and
will stand for no more Of the kind.
Now, in the abstract, what business
has the United States in China after its
ministers have been rescued? Does the
United States want q slice Of territory,
too? Haven't we enough yellow-bellies
and Coolies now? And IL we don't
want a slice Of territory, what do we
want? Where will we gain anything
powers" when they act and quarrellng
with them when they quarrel? 1t is
claimed that they are all Christian ma
tions and that China is not. 'All the
better Let the Christians divide the
thing up If they can. If 1t is divided
among Christian nations a Christian
nation like the United States could
trade there all the more readily. 1t
could also collect its Chinese indemnity
from the fellows that got the property.
And then when the Christians fall out
we would be in a position to sell them
guns and ammunition. We would sell
them clothes and equipment. We would
sell them beef, embalmed and other
wise. We would sell them all kinds of
supplies while they were fighting. This |
Is too important a proposition to be |
overlooked. II we didn't start out to
fight for anything ourselves we
get anything after 1t was over, |
unless our astute administration should
decide to hand over a few millions for |
we don't want and probably |
would have trouble keeping, as in the |
case of the Philippines. What the |
United States wants to do just now is |
TO avoid getting entangled in this great |
war that General Miles |
speaks of. And the people are going |
to demand that we be not entangled. |
They are going to hold any fellow to |
account that gets this country engaged |
n an embroglio Of that sort. We went |
10 China to rescue the American min
ster and he has been rescued. Having |
done what we set out to do 1t is our |
plain duty" now to mind our own bus
ness. And it is the business of the |
people to make that plainly understood.
The response of the people to a PROPOSE
ion to involve this country into an in
war just to pull the chest
nuts Of others out Of the fire, should be
If sufficient intensity to give the Ma
,oleonic gentleman, with his ear to the
ground, such shock as will straighten
,ut his notions.