The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-26

which some time will end =; ,.-.,
peaceable or violent. we came
OF Italy nave spoken In a fo,,,a,- ~
ter. When one recalls the hraad ,iots
that were SO general but recent11 80 - ~
connection with them the harroviT,y In
cioehts lhAL correspondents for the great
uA l % ttt,uis poLtrayed, I am bound
u gay e1as tne conottion has improved
But the Improvement seems ~ bafoS,s, -
the wealthy class rather than " ~ e.,
poor. The castles seemed oo,, 60 -.
porous enough. the railroads we DING a
good business, even the Iaboran. u 1ba
fedis seemed to be cheerful and eon+ent
ed, but there was q misery and a en1aIor
about the poverty in Italy that have not
found elsewhere l have never before
seen misery quite so ab1ect ana barro1,
ing. Inc sreat-neafted, bluff Italian king
was doing what he could for his subjects,
and his assassination was wanton and
foolish, as well as dastardlv crime doing
no one any good, and I am quite unable
to discover any means by which tba con-
dition of the poor in Italy NAV be bet
tered / did not. see the worst nv any
means but what saw was bad enough,
ana II the young king Of Italy holds that
the chief duty of government Is TO rem
der as tolerabIe and as nearly equal as
possible the condition, of It's subjects.
he has task of great magnitude before
him.
OF Switzerland and France I will speak
another time, but before concluding this
letter 1 must say that back of the i'm
pressions that / gained during nv brief
summer wanderings were historical facts
that constantly obtruded themselves and
caused many surmises and questions.
Along the pass by which we entered
Italy, countless hordes of warriors civil
lzed and barbarian, had passed with. re-
sistless energy and fury. Ruined castles
on many a rocky hill suggested siege. as
sauit and sanguinary conflict Over the
simpson pass, by which we returned, the
legions Of Napoleon had moved and other
armies had there contended for right of
way. The millions of lives lost: the BILL
lions OF treasure squandered; the wide
spread desolatfon, wrought by invading
and retreating armies, are but memory
now, supported somewhat by dismantled
fortresses and military highways The OBJ
Ject or all this was to secure by violence
what another possessed. The right Of
conquest was undisputed Under It war
was not waged to benefit TO uplight. to
civilize and to christianize the conquered
The struggle was not carried on in the
name Of humanity, and those conduct
ing IL were not divinely appointed to
execute a mission heaven sent 1t was
the enforcement of the doctrine of the
survival or the httest in its simplest and
most positive form. We repudiate the
doctrine today, and rejoice tina the cruel
ties of the Huns, of the vandals of the
roman legions can. never again be re-
enacted, but are we sure that the under
lying purpose of all these movements
does not dominate today and that by
other Leans scarcely less cruel the same
object is Effected? Which is the more
terrible, death on the battle field, by hre
and sword, OF by starvation in novels?
Is it to be more dreaded that loss of life
should be by shot and she'll than by the
wasting and WEAKNESS seof the fever of
starvation? In the countries of Europe
almost as many die from the horrors OF
poverty as in the olden time fell in bat
tie. Is 1t the better way? Is it right?
Is IL absolutely necessary? These are
questions which those who control the
detinies of the people of European ma
lions must answer A. J. Smith.