Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-12-16
Ube 3Harrbtstfr ]ee'1'nerat
subscription. 4 ". In advance, $3.50.
Official Paper of County and CITY.
n. M. Carr, Hubert Carr. Wade +
Long, Fred w. Hermann.
4g-% Editors and Proprietors.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. IS, 1914.
NO LARGE STANDING ARMY FOR
THIS COUNTRY.

NO LARGE STANDING ARMY FOR
THIS COUNTRY.
There were some cheers for quite
a number of the things contained in
President Wilson's recent message
to congress, but the only passages OF
the message which ELECTED generous
applause from nearly everyone with
in the hearing OF his voice were
those which announced a policy OF
opposition to thu ma 1tenance OF
large standip:, army in this country.
At such a time as this, it is mex
pressibly fortunate for Americans
that they have q chief executive
who can look above the ruthlessness
OF present conditions and see an i'm
mutable law, a law OF last resort,
which enables righ> to finally win
supremacy over might.
There is a power at york In the
universe which makes 60 d the -
vine promise that ''the NEE. shall
inherit the earth.
This may seem strange to the un'
thinking person, who imagines that
the animal which possesses the
greatest capacity to rend and tear
has a great advantage in the strug-
gle for life over all weaker animals.
In support of this higher law take
lions and lambs for illustration. Are
there not a great many more lambs
in the world than there are lions:
In the primal forests, before mans
struggles for existence began, why
did not the lions eat up all the
lambs? Are there not thousand
lambs alive today for every lion?
In the struggle for life are not lambs
far in the lead Of every animal "red
in tooth and claw?
Some may say that the docile AMI
mails are more numerous because
man sides with them. But is it not
probable that in the beginning man
kind subsisted largely upon animal
flesh and slaughtered the least de-
fenseless first? Be that as it may
nature is at war with every fighter.
The animals that are fierce fighters
are slow breeders> And the nations
that maintain large standing armies
and engage in destructive wars do
SO at the expense of their own ma
tional life. ~
Nations builded upon great stand
ing armies are Illusions, for assur-
eddy they who strive to live by the
sword will die by it.
History is an unbroken record OF
the failure of fighting nations. Ath-
ems within 70 years reduced thou
sand cities and countries to subje@- |
ton, but the Athenians found the |
beginning OF their end at Syracuse. i
Persia was checked at Marathon |
and beaten ,on the sea at Salamis and
her dream of a world empire vanish
ed.
The Greeks and the Romans sought
to establish world empires by force
of arms, but natures immutable
law was against them, the same as
it was against Napoleon at Water
loo.
During the years which stand just
behind the present time, Russia and
Germany and France and Austria
built the most ponderous military ma
chimes in the history Of the word.
Some Of their enthusiasts may have
dreamed of achievements similar to
those Of Cyrus, Xerxes and Alexand-
er, but If they did their dreams are
now changed to funeral hymns for
their kind. 1
The Federal government may in
crease our navy and help the states
to organize their militia forces, but
It does not want big standing j.;
army.
PROGRESS IN FINANCIAL INDE- t
PENDENCE. t
IL