The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-08-11
MR.. TAFT AND THE PEACE
TREATIES.

The signing of the arbitration treaties
last week BY the President of the United
States. Mr.. Knox and the representa-
tives Of England and France. was her
aided to the world with great flourish
Of trumpets and eclat, as an accomplish
ment of the highest nature and import
ance to the people Of all the world. We
hope that ali of the world will not be
deceived as to the value and importance
which is attempted to be attributed to
the operation of these treaties, but we
are especially interested that the people
OF the United States shall realize all the
untold blessings promised by them. And
W usly hope that it will not turn
out to be on the part of the administra-
ton mere political device to help Mr..
Taft to be elected for second term.
While this is all true, 1t still remains
that all Of the great war powers, nor
indeed any of them have given any evil
dence to satisfy any intelligent mind that
thing OF the past. This country is not
war power, nor has it ever been in
the past, and there is no reason founded
on Judgment and common sense why it
should ever become war power IN the
future. We neither seek nor desire to
make conquests.
The very theory, as well as the letter
of our form Of government and consti-
tuition excludes all idea and possibility
of conquest. The idea Of conquest as
well as the practical results of all con-
quests in the past, has been to subject
foreign territory to the dominion and
control Of the conquerer.
This cannot be done under our form
OF government because all government
must be by the consent of the governed,
and must, therefore be free, which is
flat denial Of the right Of conquest.
We have, t is true. violated faith in
two ever to be regretted instances, the
one when we stole the Hawaiian Islands,
and the second was when we bought the
Philippine Islands
Both Of which placed this country in
an anomalous and false position as to
ourselves and TO all the world We have
since then held those islands in. subjec-
ton and refused to give them selfgov-
eminent.
But worse than all this IS the fact that
all that We got for the wrong done to
those people and the greater wrong that
We did to ourselves, the only thing that
We obtained was about two millions and
half Of the most wretched people that the
whole world contains. All we got, was
practically, ignorance. degradation and
leprosy
For this sum total Of our wrong and
shame we have spent hundreds Of mil
lions Of dollars that might have been
given 10 uplift the ignorant poor and
unfortunate of our own country where
they exist on every hand Not only so,
but we will be forced 10 continue in the
future to do our own unfortunate people
the Injustice OF spending more untold
millions on our poor, foreign possessions
across the seas, and without the slightest
prospect or hope OF any practical results.
But there is only one way to have
worldwide peace, and that is, for all
Of the war powers TO adopt the rule Of
common sense and not 20 to war.
This can not be done by treaties. 1t
never has been done by treaties in all
the long past No treaty has ever yet
prevented any war when the parties to it
wanted war. SO it will continue to be
the case in the future.
Plain common sense suggests but one
way and the only way. Let all OF the
great nations dlsarm their standing
armies and put the soldierssto work to
increase the blessings Of life and peace,
and turn the navies into commerce bear
inc ships 10 transport food to those who
need food. and clothing to those who
need clothing. and at the same time re-
Ieve the overburdened taxpayers, who
have billions Of dollars TO pay year IN
and wear out to keep great standing
armies and great navies, whose sole OBJ
;ecs has always been to drench the world
With blood and destruction, and to NIL