The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-08-15
HOWfRTON MAKES
ANSWER TO WINTER,
Talks About Conflicting Teachings In
REGARD to Peace and War

Editor Sentinel: l was very much
interested in Mr.. Winters article, He
writes well and his ability is worthy
better cause.
II is an easy matter to get eloquent
and patriotic on the subject of war.
The books are full of it. As educators
we have done many fool things. but do
not recall any more unjustifiable piece
Of folly than the habit we have of wri-
ting about battles and great generals.
and making pictures of battles and fire.
arms, and teaching this to boys and
girls and misnaming it HISTORY" l
recall the first u. S. HistoryI ever
saw. 1t was filled with armies and
guns with long, sharp bayonets and
cannon with men firing them, and SOL
diers and generals on charging horses,
with three-cornered hats and shining
buttons, and the ideas got of nv coun,
try from that book were very mislead.
;ne. really thought all great men
must fight and that all fighters were
great men. recall now that had
some trouble to reconcile this with the
teaching of my mother that must not
fight. ! recalled also that We had a
"rule" in school against fighting-I
mean against boys fighting, and the
penalty was q thrashing by the teacher.
OF course l did not fully understand
lust how it was wrong for boys and
girls to fight in school and in home, and
a patriotic duty for men to fight and
that with guns, and to kill. could
not fully understand how that, when
two of our neighbors had decided to
settle some difference by blows with
their fists, that both had to 20 to town
and pay fine. Mother explained that
1t was against the law to fight and that
when our neighbors violated the law,
they must suffer a penalty, and of
course brought in her usual Injunction
against her boys fighting. A little la
ter one of our neighbOrs decided he
would settle difficulty with nearer
neighbor of ours by shooting him. This
he tried to do, for which he was sent to
the penitentiary for ten years. All this
was very strange to me in view of the
fact that most Of our history was in
praise of our fighting men of the past,
and our teacher put especial emphasis
on the greatness of our military he
roes," as she called them. For years
did not know man could be hero un-
less he fought in war. saw all "biR
men" as great warriors. This was the
book view of war the ideas got from
the pictures and the reading and what
the teacher told me, of course.
wanted to be hero and get my name
in the books, but how could do it and
obey mother, who always said, "DO
not fight, my son." heard larger
boys make speeches in school, and they
always told Us of some great warrior,
his bravery, his patriotism, his undyine
fame. Warriors are fine subjects for
orations, and they have been used for
all they are worth. Soldier clot hes
marching, music and the drill are al
very attractive. But after all, war i.
hell" and "He who takes the sworc
must perish by the sword can not be
answered by fine clothes, fine phrases
to live without fighting:
So arm yourself that everyone
may know at glance that to attacl
you is certain death. This method wa.
once in vogue by individuals and is still
practiced in part by nations.
2 So live that no one will need t.
fight you. or want to fight to yon.
This method is now adopted by mos
women and great majority of D<h
hence, in our civilized countries it is un
lawful for individuals to arm them
selves for the purpose of making an at
tack. When we apply the same rule t.
nations that we do to individuals, wa
will be at an end-make it unlawful t.
carry arms for the purpose of making
an attack.
still believe, after reading Mr.. Win
ter's excellent piece that the U. S
army should be put to work building
roads and the u. S. navy to the task 0
drainage and irrigation. Such worl
will really do the boys good and max
better soldiers out Of them than tn
life of idleness they now live, even i
we want them to fight battle; but ia
better than this, It will make then
Soldiers of the common good" and a
the same time do the country muc
good. When the question is left to
vote of those who furnish the men an
the money for the army and navy, the