Evening journal., 1905-01-23
EDITORIAL OPINION
How to Stop Wars.
From the Baltimore American.

rIolh lne btltlllloIt Aillcl lsAlll'
The impression that there must all
ways be wars because there have al
ways been wars since men were organ
lied as communities appears to be an
inherited one. Many persons entertain
a.. and. as they are unable to give a
good reason for it, Il must be cata-
lOgied with some other convictions
which so profoundly Influence thought
and action. The earliest formation of
society after unlimited savagery, was
probably the tribal one. and from this
came gradually the evolution Of state
hood. The tribes acted together or
fought each other as Interest or pas
sion dictated. and 1t was probably as
difficult for them to realize the possl-
hllity Of a community controlled by
peace instead Of war as 81 is for some
people today to comprehend a state of
International peace controlled by law.
To draw nearer home. the nights of
the masses in the Middle Ages were
such as the arbitrary Will of the barons
graclously allowed. or. IN other words.
they had no rights which a powerful
lord was bound to respect. The barons
and their retainers slew, plundered and
outraged whenever they pleased, and
stood upon their inalienable rights; hut
the sentiment gradually crystalized
among their victims that the latter
had some rights, and by combination
could enforce them. The barons,
doubtless. REASONED that, as they had
always robbed the people and fought
each other, they had the right to do so
forever; but the people prevailed, and
the lordly rookeres were broken up.
Many now living can remember a time
when a certain class in the community
claimed the right TO shoot and cut each
others throats IN defence of their
honOr or for some Imaginary reason,
and there were doubtless persons who
Thought that duehing would last for
ever; but few things today excite
greater l1dicule than one who imagines
his honor can be maintained or repair
ed by fighting his nelghbOr.
Fighting is one OF the instincts which
has chung to man after his emergence
I from barbarism. 81. indeed. Il has not
a considerably earlier origin. The pug
nacious spirit will not be altogether
eradicated FOR centuries yet, but the
educated and enlightened people, and a
/ vast number who are not specially cul-
tured, have learned to do their fight
/ ing with their brains instead OF with
their arms and legs and teeth, like the
] savages, or with deadly weapons. the
latter being mere refinement on older
methods. What the people can do in
their Individual and collective capacity
in the limo of civilization can be done
I BY nations, which are nothing more
! than aggregates of individuals. II az
Is uncivilized FOR men to fight, dc is
uncivilized for nations to fight, and
the use OF superior weapons does not
alter the case.
The plea that races differ is too weak
TO require answer. The object is to
preserve the peace. and not 20 ANAL
ganlate or asimilate the varying phases
OF human nature. Men of all ssztionali-
ties and or infinitely varying traits of
character swarm the streets OF New
York, but they do not war on each
other Were the powers OF the earth TO
determine that disputes be adjusted by
law. and were they 20 provide the ne
cessary courts and police. the transition
from war to peace would be far simpler
ana easier than in any Of the cases
mentioned above. The situation at
present presents the anomaly of bar
barism retaining dts hold on the heads
Of the worlds governments after IL has
to a large extent been expelled from the
body of the people on whom those gov
ernments are based.