Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-10-18


Editor of the Record.
Some 60 600 Quakers of Indiana, and
others in other parts of the country, are in
quandary regarding one Of Governor
Roosevelt's utterances, which can be inter
preted as none other than an insult to the
whole Quaker fraternity. In 1887 Governor
Roosevelt issued the Life of Thomas II.
Benton, and on page 81, after describing
wild Western life. he said:
But. after all. ibis rnIlianism was really not a
whit worse in its effects the national character
than was the case with certain OF the universal
peace and 'non-resistance' developments in the
Northeastern States; in fact i was more
healthy A class OF professional non-combat-
ants is as hurtful to the real, healthy growth Of
a nation is n class of fire-eaters; for a weak
ness or folly is nationally rs bad as vice or
worse; and in the long run the Quaker may be
quite as undesirable citizen as Is a dueiist- No
man who is not willing TO bear arms and light
for his rights can give a good reason why he
should be entitled to the privilege OF living IN
free community.
The above has been printed in circular
form BY some ardent Democrats and scat
tered far and wide among the Quakels.
As result w. d. Edwards, one Of their
number. oil Indiana, has written to Gov
ernor Roosevelt for an explanation, and
the Governor has replied that he would
a designated point on his passage through
the West This has not satisfied the Quak-
ers, and they very rightly ask for written
explanation, which up to date has not been
forthcoming, and very likely viii not be.
1t is very well known that Governor
Roosevelt IS man of war, and that he
stands for an Administration which has
meant and viii continue to mean war IN its
most inexeusable forms. Although the
Quakers have in the past been as loyal to
the Republican party as are the negroes
themselves, yet the time is now at hand
when they must either abandon their peace
principles to retain their allegiance to it
or abandon the party in disgust. There Is
no alternative. Furthermore, we can rest
assured that the reelection Of Mckinley
means an immense standing army, and
ultimately, CONSUMPTION for its mainte-
nance. Can the Quakers for moment be
Iieve that men Of the Roosevelt stripe
would consent to excuse them from bearing
arms2 This and other similar questions
are serious ones for them to consider before
election day.
The Prohibitionists are keenly alive 20
the Quaker situation, and are also flooding
the Quakers with leaflets containing Roose-
velt's insulting paragraph, and asking them
to leave their grand old party aud vote for
John G. Woolley, the Prohibition candi-
date If it is possible that the Quakers
have come around to the churchman's view
of Imperialism, as they have of late years
in 50 many other things, it is among the
possibilities that they may ignore their
peace policy Of the past ard welcome the
innovation that carries Bibles and breech-
leaders for the conversion Of the far away
heather: but those Of them who are still
of the spirit of Penn must certainly Fepudi-
ate the man and the party that stand for
war in all its CHASTITY and unchristian
horrors.
FRANCIS b. LIVEsEY.
S.l.esnilie Nj OCT : lon0