Saint Mary's beacon., 1901-01-17

! Empire--and rectified her boun-
daries over again. The empire was
dismembsred and the map of Eu-
rope was changed.
"Cicero tells us that when "a pi.
rate was once brought before Alex
ander the Great the general re-
preached him for his crimes on the
| high seas. You are a greater rob.
Der aud murderer than /, replied
the pirate, for while have plum
dered and SLAIN few, you are the
slayer and robber OF nations He
went on adjusting his boundaries
till he had oyerrun a large portion
Of Asia. But very soou after bis
death these boundaries we're read
jueted by his generals.
Europe a Huge Camp,
at is a subject Of great concern
to the friends Of the gospel Of peace
that Christian Europe persents to-
day the spectacle Of a huge military
camp. All the nations Of the Con.
tinent, as well us England, are
armed to the teeth, and are living
I in mutual dread and distrust Of
each other. They are devoured BIZ
au Unsuitable ambition Of conquest
and dominion or by fear Of iuya
aIon When sou sec heavy clouds
surchaiged with the electri oity Of
war hanging over these nations you
may expect the thunder clap Of bat
tle TO resound az any moment.
Armed nations, ike armed individ-
nals, are a const mt menace to one
another and are easily provoked to
hght.
"And these military forces in
stead of diminishing are unhappi-
{ " increasing every year. As coon
as one. nation augments its arma.
ment ils neighbor fcels lmpelIed to
DO likewise 10 selt-proleotion, Ao.
cording 70 q report compiled aud
Published In 1887 from official
saurcoa ghn armg lias cf Fnr1ne ~
war footing compr.sed nearly H.
900 900 q men, aud the aunaal
cost Of maintaining the military es-
Adjustments, even in time Of peace,
exceeded 5000 900, 900. At the
present time the coat would proba-
bly amount 20 81 900. 600, 600,
"When 80 consider the immense
number Of men that are torn from
The bosom Of their families in the
primo Of life. that are Withdrawn
from active industrial pursuits,
when we SEQ these yoang men veg.
etating in idleness in time OF peace
and luxuriating ia license and dis.
spalion in time OF war, we mas
form some idea Of the moral, mate.
rial and social evils resulting from
such system 10 contemplating
these standing armies the clam
observer might be forced to con.
clude that European Governments
: we're primarily established to de-
stroy rather than to save life. tt
! foster happiness sud develop th'
resources Of country.
May We Avoid Nilitarism.
, "May God 80 guide our legisla
tors aud statesmen that they MAJ
never be betrayed into initiating
European Governments by the es
tablishment Of formidable stand
ing armies God forbid that vi
: ourselves, flashed with recent vic
tories, should ever become intox
Gated wish tho wine Of imperialism
or militarism, but may We alwsyI
3 follow the traditions Of the father
7 OK the Republic.
Hitherto we have presented t
9 the world beautiful spectacle
Q Europeans, accustomed at home 4
9 meet a soldier OF gendarme at ever
t street corner, on arriving ia thi
country have been filled with sur
r prise and admiration that a natioI
q OF SO vast an extent and with suel
8 an immense population contains al
army Of only $4,000 men. The.
9 have been forcbly impressed will
the fact that they can travel from
Maine to California without meet
+, ing single soldier They see tha
5 every citizen Of the United State
r Is soldier without aniform, en-
i ,vnc,nd ~ tLn aak;ya ,,nrpuifu nf 1ff