The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-01-16

AN not coins 20 inquire Into the causes
% The war nor Try TO AK the respOnsi
bility. This T. not because 1 have no
definite opinions upon The subject. or take
TOO sss.ously tie Presideats warning about
being neutral Z do Dot see how anybody
.ho uses hi. intelligence can be neutral as
to The eauses OF this var. J do not see how
anybody with moral perceptions can be neu-
trail as 10 the wrongs committed.
do not believe a worse misfortune could
befal the men and women Of the United
States than to shut their eyes and take an
attitude OF clam like indifference and allow
this sreat calamity TO go on without giving
expression 20 their feelings and wrath. We
are bound. as a moral people. to have opin-
IONS and We are bound. even obliged. to ex-
press them. .
We are deluged with newspaper and orator.
cal In regard to the documents
given out by the great po&ers-the orange
papers, the red papers. the white papers. and
all the rest OF them. We are expected to get
our ideas clarified and see into the heart OF
the matter by examining these always one
sided and partial explanations. We ali know,
particularly those OF us who have come from
any Of the powers engaged In this war. that
back OF these papers there lies the great force
which has paralyzed the craftsmanship OF
Europe for a whole generation-the system OF
militarism which has resulted in converting
the industrious citizens OF these states into
warriors and the peaceful helds into arenas
Of battle.
The military caste Is essentially a part OF
the military regime Of Kaiserisms and Gar
doms, which represent political ideals OF na-
tional glory. national predominance and huge
servile empires. Along with these things 20
secret alliances. balances or power, aud so
forth.
The world has become an Industrial world
and therefore OF necessity a peaceful world.
We have come TO discover and realize that
war is not only a horror. nut is also an ~eXtraor-
binary dislocation of ordinary life. Men and
women must toll that they may live and bring
up their children In the ways of peace and
honor. but they are not permitted TO do this.
These i~nsatiate and irresponsible diplomats and
others at thei- will. throw the world into
chaos. The political organization OF the world
has not kept pace with It's social and and in
dustrial organization. The industrial world
calls for a democratic. socialized organization.
and we have Instead a military diplomatic
organization which controls the d~estinies of
the workers OF the world.
When two men get into a fight. il It Is a
serious one. they become totally Indifferent
20 the rights OF the bystanders; they shoot
at each other not caring whether they hit an
innocent outsider or not They do not care
how much they disturb the traffic or inter
fere with the rights Of Others. In their self
centred rage they are entirely oblivious OF the
rights Of others. 50 - is with belligerent nations
going 90 war; They assume that the earth
belongs 10 them. II two powers, from purely
diplomatic reasons, with which their citi-
zens nave no real concern, conclude that the
only way to settle a disputed diplomatic ques-
ton is by lighting they Immediately take pos
session OF the earth for that purpose. and the
peaceful citizens OF the world are expected
10 take what is coming TO them as part %
the game.