Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-08-12
DENIES NECESSITY FOR
LARGE STANDING ARMY.

We are not military people, bent
on conquest, or engaged in extending
our domains in foreign lands, or de-
sirous of securing natural advantages,
however great, by force; but people
loving peace, not only for ourselves,
but for all the nations of the earth.
The display Of great military arma-
ments may please the eye and, for
the moment, excite the pride of the
citizen, but it cannot bring to the coun-
try the brains, Drawn and muscle of a
single immigrant, nor induce the in
vestment here OF dollar Of capital.
OF course such armament as may be
necessary for the security of the coun-
try and the protection of the rights
of it's citizens, at home or abroad,
must be maintained. Any other course
would be not only false economy, but
pusillanimous. protest, however,
against the feeling, now far too preva-
lent, that by reason of the commanding
position we have assumed in the world,
we must take part in the disputes and
broils of foreign countries and that
because we have grown great we
should intervene in every important
question that arises in other parts of
the world. I also protest against the
erection of any such military estao-
lishments as would be required to
maintain the country in that attitude.
We should confine our international
activities solely to matters in which
the rights of the country or of our
citizens are directly involved. That
is not situation of isolation, but of
independence.
The government of the United States
was organized solely for the people
OF the United States. While it was
contemplated that this country should
become refuge for the oppressed OF
every land, who might be fit to dis
charge the duties of our citizenship,
and while we have always sympathized
with the people of every nation in
their struggles for sef-government,
the government was not created for
career Of political or civilizing evangel-
1zation in foreign countries or among
alien races. The most efficient work
we can do in uplifting the people of
other countries is by the presentation
OF happy, prosperous, self-governing
nation as an ideal to be emulated,
model to be followed. The general oc-
cupation of our citizens in the arts of
peace, or the absence of large mill
tary ornaments, tends to impair
neither patriotism nor physical cour-
age, and for the truth of this I re-
fer the young men of today to the
history Of the Civil war. For fifty
years. with the exception Of the
war with Mexico, this country had
been at peace, with standing army
most of the time of less than ten thou
sand men. He who thinks that the
nation had grown effeminate during
that period should read the casualty
rolls of the armies on either side at
Shiloh. Antietam, Fredericksburg and
Gettysburg, at Stone River and Chick
amauga. I would be the last man to
pluck single laurel from the crown
of any one of the military heroes to
whom this country owes so much, but
insist that their most heroic deeds
proceeded infinitely more from devo.
ton to the country, than from martial
spirit.
AS have already proceeded at too
great length, other questions suggest
ed in the platform must await my let
ter of acceptance.