Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-05-22

Some English newspapers have re-
Gently been suggesting that Lord Sails
bury's Primrose speech and some other
recent utterances of his are evidence
that the man is insane. In sense this
is true. But it is the insanity of unbri-
died power and ambition In that
sense Napoleon | was insane. And in
lesser degree in the same sense Secre-
tary Root and President Mckinley are
insane. 1t is the insanity of war The
insanity of brutal animalism that comes
to some men when they have power to
say to armed hosts, $50 forth and kill
men, and that grows upon them when
the command is being executed. Such
insanity has always been found among
despotic rulers,-the insanity that occa-
sionally, for its satiation, demands the
smell of human blood or the sight of
human heads decapitated and impaled
upon spears. Having had a taste of
blood they become furious for more.
We have had war upon our hands for
the last two years. While it began with
laudable avowed purpose-a purpose
capable of enlisting the sympathy of
good men-the purpose to free Cuba
that purpose was not one to move the
administration. That purpose was not
something then newly discovered. 1t
had existed for years, and had failed to
move the administration. 1t moved
Congress at last, and forced upon the
administration the opportunity to carry
out one of the grandest, if not the
grandest disinterested effort ever made
by one people in behalf of another.
But an administration which was in
capable of being moved by so great a
purpose, was incapable of carrying out
the work in the true spirit, when that
work was forced upon it, Hence it
made of that war something more akin
to its own sympathies,-a war of con-
quest, and war wherein political
friends might obtain positions or fat
jobs,-the governorships and offices of
conquered colonies and contracts for
furnishing a large army with supplies.
Such was the laudable spirit which
prompted Congress to declare war, and
the evil spirit in which the administra-
ton carried out its humane purpose.
The smell of blood has infected them;
they want more, anything, "a quarrel
with Germany will do. The Monroe
doctrine (which these maniacs with
homicidal tendencies have broken into
fragments during the last two years,
must now, forsooth, have protection,
vindication, defense. 1t is not long
since their miniops of the press were
daily explaining to the American peo-
pie that the Monroe doctrine was a
myth, a humbug, anything except a
thing to be upheld. Why this sudden
change of front? Hay was willing
enough to surrender all vestige OF the
Monroe doctrine to England. Are we
to have "a new Monroe doctrine,-a
Monroe doctrine with amendments. "a
Monroe doctrine for the benefit of Eng
land and the United States as partners,
-as secret allies !? 1t looks that way.
For there could not have been many
men in this country, obseryant of
current history during the last two
years, who could believe anything was
left of the Monroe doctrine now; and,
presto, here come the very fellows who
killed it, and pretend to resurrect it
again, and to make themselves its
champions. This also is insanity. They
know not what they say. They have
tasted blood, and they want more. 1t
is blessed thing that there is way of
putting these fellows where they can
do less harm, but it would be better if
there were a way of putting about a
thousand chaps in England and the
United States out of the world together.
But the wicked are not gathered to-
gether nor destroyed by fire from
Heaven in these days.