The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-08-12
Out of the Sanguinary
European Strife.
GERMANY HAD NO REAL CAUSE
To Go To Warbler People
At Height Of Peace
and Prosperity.
"AUTOCRACY OR DEMOCRACY"

When peace is again established
in Europe there will come new
order of things. Democracy will
not stand forever upon the scaffold,
with autocracy forever on the
throne.
Ten days ago the German people
were at peace with all the world.
They had no quarrel of their own
with anybody. In the years that
had followed the downfall of Ma
poleon III. they had won the admi-
ration of every civilized country.
Out of a condition of general pow
erty they had arisen to great wealth
and prosperity. They had become
the leaders and teachers of all the
nations in the development of scien
tifc industry Their commerce
reached to every nook and corner
of the globe. Their ships floated on
every sea. Their victories were no
victories of brute force, but tri-
umphs of applied skill and trained
minds. In many respects the Ger
mans had touched the highwater
mark of human civilization. There
was not another country in the
world but could learn something
from them.
Suddenly this vast fabric woven
by peace and industry and skill and
science is torn in two. All the ma
chinery of progress is stopped by
the hand of autocracy. The Kaiser
plunges Europe into the most de-
vastating conflict known to human
history, and every civilized country
reels under the shock. And about
what? Ostensibly because Russial
had answered Austria's wanton war
against Servia by mobilizing troops
on the frontier in order to protect
her own interests. In reality be-
cause the reactionary party of Ger
many was determined to invite a
general European conflict in order
W stay the duNahcchche VI PoAi'iNoi
reforms.
In the very vanguard of the TWEEN
many has struggled back into the
seventeenth century politically. The
curse of medieval government has
hung over her noblest achievements.
Every impulse toward political free
dom has been beaten back by the
mailed fist, and at a great crisis in
deprived of that power over their
own political institutions without
which the English-speaking races
have justly come to regard life itself
as intolerable.
Autocracy has had its way. Aus
trias quarrel with Servia was no af
fair of the German people Russia's
challenge to Austria was no affair |
of the German people. Yet the very |
fate of the German Empire is
thrown into the balance in order to
halt the march of political freedom
in Europe.
All the world knew that a decla-
ration of war against Russia was in
effect a declaration of war against
France. Germany admitted 1t by
mobilizing her army not on the Rus
sian frontier but on the French
frontier. The decisive blow was to
be struck against the French Repub-
lie. not against its imperial ally. 1t
was not Russian despotism that was
to be crushed but French republic
anism.
The hollow hypocrisy of the whole
proceeding Is revealed in the fact
that before the clash OF arms Isl
fairly begun the Austrian invasion
of Servia is practically abandoned,
Having begun the war, German
autocracy now finds itself isolated.
Italy constructs the Triple Alliance
as applicable only to war of de-
Tense; because there would be a rev.
olution In Italy II the Government
ventured to champion the cause of
the hated Austrian. Great Britain
Is compelled to make Frances
cause her cause. Germany and Aus
tria are left alone to fight the bat
tie OF autocracy and pay the bill in
blood and treasure and prestige. In
this war they have no sympathizers