The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-11-01
A PEACE PICNIC.
(By Ebert Pubbard.)

Just suppose ths. three months ago
there had gone coroad over the world
an urgent request for big business
ali factories and stores, everywhere
10 grant its helpers one day off with
full pay for peace picnic.
What would have been the reply of
Coloney Moneybags?
III tell you-it would have been
this: "One whole day off for picnic,
and full pay? We can't afford it,"
The war has been going on in Eu-
rope for ten weeks or more. with at
least twelve million men taken from
the ranks Of useful labor.
The cost, not counting loss of labor,
is thirty million dollars day.
And l hope we dot have to prove
that every soldier has to be supported
by laborer.
Going into battle isn't exactly going
to Il picnic.
pecially where man takes his wife
and children. or his sweetheart
But even the sophistic apologists
are at their wits end to explain the
good of this war
And no one yet has come forward
and claimed the credit of beginning it.
Conceive that this is 1914, of the
Christian Kalends.
Pinch your ear, whistle out loud.
Are you dreaming?
No. 1t is 1914. 1t is the age OF Edi-
son, Kelvin. Steinmetz, Lister, Roent-
gen. Charles w. Elliot, David Starr,
Jordan, Robert Collier. Ibsen, Tolstoy,
ltodin, George Westinghouse, the
Wright brothers, Madame Curie, s..
Weir Mitchell. William James, Nathan
Straus. Alexander Graham Bell, Mae
terlinck. Thomas Hardy!
The human race seemed sure of it.
self.
Its mind was opening, like a gigan-
tic, ineligible eye.
The phantoms and gobl!ns were in
panic in their sinister heavens.
With microscope and alembic, with
pen and press. man-heir to the Pro-
methean spark-was invading , the
realm OF death, disease and fear.
He had put wings on the stage
coach: he was whispering messages
::c-c:: ccc:s:.::.cc.::.ss continents
He had segregated the germ; and
brave men had gone to both the North
and South Poles, Man was civiIizing
doctors, preachers. lawyers; civilizing
his r;;;efs-those IN heaven and those
on earth.
HIS telescope foraged among the
ruined consultations Of the infinite.
His microscope brought his eye to
pasture on the inconceivable.
No matter how much pain he had
suffered. he found it glory to have
lived in the last century and the OPEN
lag years of the present.
He reigned over life like an eagle.
His achievements put the touch Of
godhead on mis- brow.
Conceive that this Is 1914. And
that art, science, invention had glori-
fled man-iiftod him 20 the Matterhorn
Of highest hope.
Then conceive the uncomfortable.
Think the unthinkable. Realize the un-
believable.
One may paint the horrors of this
struggle OF the ages O la Tolstoy or
zola. Sickening task!
One may look az II from the brain
OF a Hugo and write magnificent
strophes In prose and verse, whose
beauty would quench the rainbow.
But there Is no romance or heroism
In this war today to inspire Victor
Hugo.
The safest. healthiest manner of
travelling with the Great Blond Beast
from day to day Is in the manner of
tho philosopher. 1t will stifle those
bitter. burning tears that are ia our
hearts. and purge our souls of those
| sobs, that choke us.
And keep your eye on the great re-
| action. when the human race will take
possession OF the old planet by right
| OF eminent domain?
And at the close OF the war let the
| entire world Of workers and toilers
have picnic-with full pay? And let
the band play and the o.-atcry flow
and love, for once. be legal tender.
Can we afford It? Why, sure! we
certainly can. And even OIL man
Moneybags will Join US!