The Ocala banner., 1913-12-05
THE TOLL OF WAR

The New York World says that
war does not take the worst Unfor
tunately it levies it's awful toll upon
the best. 1t is so in all wars, and has
always been so. The armies OF Cae-
sar and Napoleon were not levied
from the slums. Prison doors were
not unbarred, and the inmates march
ed TO battle.
1t is not as rule the "riff-raffs'
and the "outcasts" that are killed in
battle when one country goes to war
with another AS a rule it is the very
flower and chivalry of the land
1t was so in this country when the
tocsin of civil war sounded. We re-
member it as if it were but yesterday.
We were then, living at Quincy. A
military company had been organized
for some months. No one was allow
ed to join it unless he was of good
family and good character All mar
ried men were barred. 1t was com
posed of the flower and chivalry and
Young manhood of that section. Fine
boys they were. They were the first
to respond to the call of arms. Their
bones were bleached on many bat
tlefield
The Young Guard" of Quincy was
not an exceptional company. 1t was
so all over the land.
In our last war with Mexico we had
but little more than a pretense for
the declaration of war. Not as much
so then as now. 1t was like jumping
on a cripple. Henry Clay was not
alone in his opposition to it. He view
ed it as a crime against humanity
without any extenuating circumstanc
es Against his protest and a large
following of his party war was de
clared. The country was rushed
headlong by the unthinking, as is the
case, as rule, with all wars.
Henry Clay. Jr., was then in the
vigor and splendor of young manhood.
He was among the first to volunteer.
He did so with his fathers consent,
for Henry Clay was a patriot, and,
right or wrong, he was for his coun-
try. This young mans name was
among the first to appear upon the
list of the slain. 1t left grave in the
old patriots heart that time never af-
faced.
The father of the editor of this pa
per, although having a wife and five
children, was yet a young man, and
having won his spurs with the seven
years war with the SeminoIes in this
state, he felt it his duty to answer
his countrys call for volunteers.
His bones lie mingled with the soil
of Mexico.
This papers position about war and
its attendant and accumulated hor-
rors is we'll known, and some seem to
think that it is because the editor is
too much given to mere sentiment. |
and that this is the cause for his OBJ |
jections to war and his reasons for !
upholding President Wilson's Mexi- |
can policy, but will those who so be- |
lieve do him the favor to read what |
the New York World has to say on
the Toll of War;"
That paper says:
1T has been roughly estimated that |
a war with Mexico, and the resulting
occupation, which might be protract- !
ed, would cost 100000 lives, and per-
haps a million or two Of dollars. No |
doubt the chief organ of what is left |
of the republican party views the fl
nancial sacrifice without concern, but !
what of the lives that are to be given |
up? Is no one to speak for them?
"One hundred thousand young
sent to death would mean !
a great deal to many families in this !
country. We do not ask the Tribune
TO name the members of it's own
that it would spare. We |
simply put the question to every
American community and home.
Who is to go? Who is to die? War
does not take the worst 1t levies it's
awful toll upon the best.
President Wilson has met diff
cult situation with wisdom, courage,
patience and frmness. He is not
afraid to fight. No man is afraid to
fight. But he will not fight without
cause, and no true American wants !
him TO fight without cause. He is
not to be goaded foolishly into strife.
If war must come, the bloodshed will
not be chargeable to him. If force
must be used, it will be in behalf of
principles which will receive the ap-