The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-11-04
DANGEROUS POWER OF EXECUTIVE
Continued from Page one.)

recall the circumstances under which
that incident took place. Great Brit
ain, engaged In a boundary dispute
with Venezuela, urged her contention
with characteristic positiveness. The
president of the United States stepped
in and substantially said to Great
Britain: stop You will not be per-
mitted to- impose your will upon lit
tie American republic by main
strength without q word from this re-
public. This matter will have to be
arbitrated.' Great Britain, the mis-
tress of the seas, by far the greatest
naval power of the world, proud and
touchy, with a Tory government sup
that pride, was certainly not used
to that sort of treatment. She prob
ably knew, too, that we had only one
gun mounted on coast several thou
sand miles long. No wonder that a
good many people expressed the wish
for the British lion to break out in a
warlike roar. But what did Great
Britain do? The British tory govern
ment took President Cleveland's re-
|
tion land with graceful kindness as,
sented to the arbitration asked for.
"Now what is the lesson OF this?
Not that we need big armies and ma
vies for the defence of our rights and
the enforcement of our just demands,
but that whether we are armed or
unarmed, every European power even
the greatest and proudest, will go to
the very extreme Of possible concep-
tion to avoid serious quarrel with
this republic. Every sensible man
knows that there is not one of those
powers which entertains the slight
est idea of attacking us; that they
will readily comply with whatever we
can decently ask for, and that IL we
are to have any conflict with any one
of them we shall have to bring 1t on
ourselves by uncomfortable provocation
The simple reason is that, aside from
what moral love of peace they may
cherish, they can hardly afford to have
a serious struggle with so resource
full and pertinacious an antagonist as
this republic, in view of the possibil-
ity of dangerous complications at
home.
"Or absolute safety from foreign
aggression, as every person will ad-
NIT, being thus assured, | may ask
my soberminded countrymen, for
what large armies and big navies-
the characteristic tool and ornament
of empire--may be wanted by us. Be-
ing entirely unnecessary for defence,
is the greatest navy in the world, or
any big navy, the cost Of maintenance
of which will run into the hundreds
of millions needed or intended for any
purpose. If not, then the building and
maintenance thereof is wanton
waste of the peoples money, wicked
and objectionable. But il it is desig-
mated for any one purpose, what is
that purpose? The world abroad win
but too probably see in 1t a design Of
aggressive movements on our part
This would have most unfortun.
ate effect. Whether we entertain
such plans or not--and | am conf
dent large majority of the Ameri-
can people do not entertain them-the
world will always be distrustful of our
possessions of a peaceable disposition.
However much our people may be in
favor of peace congresses and arbitra-
ton courts, the world will see in
the building Of large navies, utterly
unnecessary for defense, threat of
armed aggression-a transformation
of the old Republican peace power
into an empire preparing for war.
4 The inevitable result will be an addi-
tional element of apprehension and
disquiet among nations. Every sea
power will watch with nervous anx-
iety each unnecessary addition to our
naval strength and see in it rea-
son for making corresponding addl-
tion to it's own, and we then, If we
are watching them, will follow with
another addition on our part. And
thus the mad race in the augmen.
tion of war forces which has become
an oppressive burden to mankind, the
, curse of the age, will be stimulated
. by this republic instead of being dis
countenanced and checked by it's good
example of truly pacific policy. This
republic will thus be leader of a
backward and most baneful move
ment, instead of leading in humane
, projects.
: 1T will be apt to produce another
perilous effect. 1t has often, and not
/ unjustly, been observed that the fre-
quency of homicide in our country is
owing in great part TO the habit of
many persons in carrying unneces.
sary pistols upon their persons. Like
wise great war fleet, especially a
new one that is not employed in
. necessary duties may become seduc
tive and dangerous plaything While
its advocates say that 1t is to pre-
, vent trouble, it is just as apt, by i'm
pulsive and reckless handling, to
canse mischief When Warshins are