The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-05-31


ence of true Christian doctrine and to
slow but sure increase of intelligence
among the general mass of mankind,
the truth is at last becoming under
stood. The common people must
bear the burden of war. They have
always borne it. They must do the
fighting Theirs is the blood to be
spilled Theirs are the widows and
orphans, and they must pay for the
war and for the pensions which come
after it. These, the common people,
perceive that war is not only morally
unjustifiable and unnecessary among
enlightened nations, but is costly in
life and in money. They see how
war eats up all the fruits of progress
and lays heavy taxes on the people
for military and naval expenditures,
and for ever increasing pensions.
They realize that the war creates
and spreads bodily diseases and
quickly breeds political corruption.
1t slaughters and mains the best and
strongest of nation it demoralizes
society and impoverishes the people.
AS a result of this awakening of
| the people, war with it's attendant
evils and endless expense, is coming
at last to be regarded in its true light.
1t is beginning to be looked on as
something to be abolished or dis
pensed with. The glory, the "pomp
and circumstance" of war are dissolv-
| ing and disappearing before this prac-
tical and common-sense view. Strip
ped of its glitter and tinsel, war is
seen in it's hideous nakedness, and no
longer are men deceived. The effect
is seen in the United States, where it
| is now difficult to obtain voluntary
recruits, and in European countries
force must be used to fill the ranks
with disconnected and unwilling sol
diers
Within the past few years the
movement for international peace has
become worldwide. In every civiliz-
ed land there is active organization,
and aggressive work is being done.
Societies of men and women compos
ed of the most enlightened minds of
every civilized country are nobly
working toward the object of educat-
ing and training world-opinion. They
are proving to the nation that war as
disputes is unnecessary and barbaric.
Never before in the worlds history
has there been a concerted move
ment carried on by the strongest and
best men and women throughout the
civilized world. The sentiment for
peace is rapidly increasing. Says the
president of the United States, in a |
recent address: "The principal of JUS |
tice to the weak as well as to the
strong is prevailing to an extent here
tofore unknown to history. Rules of
conduct which govern men in their
relations to one another are being ap-
piled in an ever increasing degree to
nations. The battlefield as a place |
of settlement of disputes is gradually
yielding to arbitral courts of justice.
The interests of the great masses are
not being sacrificed as in former
times to the selfishness, ambitions,
and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of sovereigns, or
to the intrigues of statesmen unwill- |
ing to surrender their scepter of pow
er. Religious wars happily are spec
tiers of medieval or ancient past,
and the Christian church is laboring
valiantly to fulfill its destiny of
Peace on Earth"
Let it not be supposed, however,
that the task of creating peace SEN
timent among the nations is an easy
one. At first thought it would seem
that no right-thinking or intelligent
person would oppose international ar
bitration, international peace or the
general disarmament of the chief
there is opposition of very powerful
and influential sort. There are many
rulers of nations as well as many of
the leading or governing classes who
believe that military and naval rival
ry among civilized nations creates
and protects trade, develops commerce
and lends prestige and power to COM
mercial nations. This is a wholly
false theory which the peace societies
are successfully meeting and expos
ing by arguments, facts and statis-
tics. Then there are those controlling
great wealth and vast power who find
| it very profitable to manufacture and
furnish the expensive ornaments and
equipment to prepare nations for
war; the builders of great steel clad
vessels, the makers of guns, ammuni-
ton and all sorts of military and ma
Il