Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-06-05

our entire municipal debt, macadamize al
our roads and line them with concrete
sidewalks throughout our entire territory,
build commodious and convenient school
houses in every district, establish parks
| and libraries in every neighborhood, give
us street railways and three-cent fares,
rebuild our rotting wharves, dredge our
river to the sea, build complete system
of sewers, give us water and light at cost,
and leave us a large fund for other
improvements. The war cost us here in
Ellsworth all this and more. Future wars
might cost less. They might cost more.
As has been shrewdly said, when nation
gets into a war, it can never know how or
when it will get out. Our late war with
feeble, decrepit Spain should not be taken
as the measure Of the cost OF future wars.
And the spirit OF militarism is not yet
satisfied. 1t still insists on enormous
annual expenditures. Congress at its last
session appropriated for military purposes,
to keep up and increase our army and
navy establishment, nearly 500, 000, 900,
exclusive of pensions. Ellsworth's per
capita share OF this is nearly $4,000. a
larger sum than we feel we can afford for
all our schools and library. We think we
are too poor to provide decent high
school building for our children, but we
sacrifice without protest each year at
least one commodious high school build
ing to the moloch OF war. We hearken to
the clan or OF militarism, but are deaf to
the cry of our children.
But granting all this to be unhappily
true, we hear it said, and in high places,
that this is the only way to prevent war;
that SO long as other nations waste their
resources and burden their people with
costly ornaments, we must do the same;
that we must keep up, il not ahead, in
the mad race, even to the point Of exhaus-
tion. l dissent from such proposition
I believe that, even under present condi-
tions, much Of the expenditure is unneces-
sary, and that we as people could make
much more of it unnecessary. We are
the best situated to set the example OF a
large reduction of ornaments, to show
( the world how much richer and stronger
nation is that taxes its people lightly
and devotes its revenues to the arts of
peace.
Congress appropriated 900, 1000, 900 for
war, and only s9,500,0o0 for agriculture.
much richer we should all be at the end
Of the year! Other nations do not meas
ure our strength, even for war, by the
size Of our army and navy. For long
time both these were SO small as to be
merely enough for police duty; yet NJ
nation attacked US or even threatened US.
Great Britain was not impelled by our
then small army and navy to pay the
Geneva award. In 1888 her army and
navy were nearly quadruple ours; vet she
did not even suggest war to settle the
northeastern boundary question.
We have grown rich and strong through
peace and in spite OF war. We should be
as just, and even as generous, as we are
strong. We can afford to ignore what
might seem Sights or insults to others
less great. We are big enough to be pa
tient and serene, big enough to wait and
negotiate and arbitrate il one OF our ships
is blown up in \ foreign harbor, or If
what we think to be portion OF our ter
ritory is claimed by some other nation.
Our standing as Q nation among nations
will not be improved ny our flying into =
passion every time We are provoked, or
claims are made upon us.
There is q better way to prevent war
than by maintaining exhausting arma-
ments. Self-control, elaboration and
reasoning will settle many vexing ques-
tions. II these fail, there is always arbi-
tratioa. DO not concede that there are
any questions between nations, abort OF
| national life itself, that cannot be prop
erly left to arbitration. There is hardly
any question the like OF which has not
hitherto been in fact submitted to arbi-
tration.
But it is said that this is all ideal; that
| nations will not resort to arbitration, and
that hence exhausting ornaments must
still be maintained, and even wars be
waged; that efforts to reduce armaments
and abolish war are futile. Not 20. Ar
maments can be safely reduced, and war
among civilized nations can be abolished,
and within this century. 1t can be done
by force Of public opinion. When pub
lie opinion, even in our own country
alone, is aroused against war and arma-
ments. when our people, even alone, de-
nounce war, and insist on arbitration -
the final resort in international disputes,
then war among civilized nations 10
doomed to early extinction.
| The firm and strongly expressed opinion
OF our people influences the opinion Of
other peoples, Is the firm and strongly ex-
pressed opinion Of one man influences the
opinion Of other men, and the stronger,
richer and more intelligent the people the
| greater the influence. II, at the coming
Hague conference, the United States calls
clearly and boldly for reduction OF
ornaments, an immense impetus viii be
given the movement. Whatever tine
European governments may do, their peo-
pie will be immensely influenced, and in
time will effectively respond.