The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1911-05-18
Affirmative, By j. a. O.

congruous, that a subject like the above
should be treated by anyone who, from his
environment and his position, should have
no more right to word or thought in the
world progress for good and higher con-
conditions and aims. That the cause of
ssthe world peace 'amay not be advanced
by its advocacy from so poor source. But
somehow there is still hope that the-truth
cannot harm the cause, no m at ter
where it comes from, whether from the
highest seat of Fame or the lowest seat of
Fate of him who speaks it. Truth ought
to be above persons or conditions. 1t may
be truly said that it does not always have
the same weight or influence when coming
from the source that this paper comes from,
but if it does not hurt the cause of Interna-
tional Peace, and finds some little spot of
soil wherein it may take root and grow;
some bleak place yet uncultivated, the writ
will have accomplished all that he has hoped
for.
Whatever progress the world has made
along the lines of higher civilization, has
not been made in day or year. The
evolution toward higher and better condi-
tions has not been so startling in its rapidly
as to make us dizzy. And yet we have
been, and are making progress. The most
rapid progress has been made by individual
effort. in the line of inventions, This has
been. indeed wonderful and unprecedent-
ed advancement, but the moral and ethical
advancement has by no means kept pace,
and we are sometimes left in doubt as to
whether there is any forward movement at
all. But when we compare the present
with the past there certainly is hope for the
future, slow though it be. Governments
are still going to mill with some stones
in the sacks to balance the ssgrist, yetthe
"grists' are certainly becoming more even
ly balanced in their relative weight to the
stones.
In the ceaseless struggle between the ele-
ments of good and evil, which dispute their
hold upon humanity and mould the desti-
nies of mankind both national and interna-
tional; there stands out here and there,
some crisis from whose elements destinies
are made. The question of International
Peace or war, has become crisis which
we have practically reached and must be
settled either for veal or woe for the future
destiny of the human race.
The possibility of universal peace as a
practice of the near future has come upon
US so suddenly. that we have hardly had
time to line up; nor can we yet estimate
its effect upon the public mind of the
world. That war is waste and destruction
and relic of bygone ages think you will
allagree. When General Sherman said that
ssodr soas hell" he gave US definition
fully to the point. No need to elaborate
on that definition; it is terse and full of
meaning as we understand the term. /
believe you will agree, that it would be
the best step the world could take, if the
nations could agree on International Peace
by arbitration.
If war was part of the Divine wisdom
in creation to help keep the population of
the world from being over-crowded as some
writers claim, then it is not the province of
man to interfere with the immutable law OF
that wisdom; man could not avert it no
more than he could avert death, which we
know of a surety is ordained. And we are
willing to concede that, ssthe paradox
therefore, is true that in this globe of ours,
las well as in all other worlds throughout
space which life inhabits) death is the con-
dition of the increase of life; but the
world is hardly ready to admit that war is
the scythe of God to bring about the in
crease of death from other than the usual
cause ofdecay. If war is a Divine mandate
along with disease and accidents and dist
patton, and the thousand and one Other
causes that produce death, then man is in
deed powerless to interfere. What use
then to guard against or take measures te
prevent something that is as immutable a
Deity himself; why try to avoid the newt
able, if it is a Divine edictl And yel
somehow, self preservation seems to be the
first law of Our nature. But we are moi
willing to admit that these various ways in
which we may meet death (except by decay,
are inevitable laws of God.
OF what use is it to dig and delve into
the sciences, to prevent death by diseases,
or why lament and make such stir abou,