The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-16

the war. and it is only charitable
that we should credit all Of them
with good faith. They desired peace.
but they sought it according to the
rules Of the old system. They be-
lieved that firmness would give the
best assurance of the maintenance Of
peace and faithfully following pre-
cedent they went so near the fire
that they were, one after another,
sucked into the contest. Never before
have the frightful follies of this fatal
system been so clearly revealed as
now. The most civilized and enlight-
ened-aye, the most Christian of the
nations Of Enrope-are graphing with
each other as If in a death strug-
gle. They are sacrificing the best and
bravest of their sons on the battle
field; they are converting their gard
ems into cemeteries and their homes
into houses Of mourning; they are
taxing the wealth of today and laying
burden Of debt on the toll of the
future; they have filled the air with
thunderbolts more deadly than those
of Jove and they have multiplied the
perils Of the deep. Adding fresh fuel
to the flame Of hate, they have daily
devised new horrors, until one side is
endeavoring to drown noncombatant
men, women and children at sea,
while the other seeks to starve nom
combatant men, women and children
on land. And they are so absorbed
in alternate retaliation and in COM
petitive cruelties that they seem, for
the time being. blind to the rights
of neutrals and deaf to the appeals
of humanity. A tree is known by its
fruit. The war in Europe is the ripen-
ed fruits of the old system.
This is what firmness, supported
by force. has done in the old world;
shall we invite it to cross the Allan
tic? Already the jingoes of our own
country have caught the rabies from
the dogs of war; shall the opponents
of organized slaughter be silent while
the disease spreads?
"As an humble follower of the
Prince Of Peace, as a devoted believer
in the prophecy that they that take
tho oUOr1 oh paci,l, ,,;tl, 81, - ..,,,o..a
l beg to be counted among those who
earnestly urge the adoption of a
course in this matter which will leave
no doubt OF our governments willing
ness to continue negotiations with
Germany until an amicable under
standing Is reached or at least until,
the stress Of war over, we can appeal
from Philip drunk with carnage to
Philip sobered by the memories Of an
historic friendship and by a recollec-
tion of the innumerable ties Of kim
ship that bind the fatherland to the
United States.
Some nation must lead the world
out Of the black night of war into
the light of that day when swords
shall be beaten into plowshares.' Why
not make that honor ours? Some day
not now?-the nations will
learn that enduring peace cannot be
built upon war-that good will does
not grow upon the stalk of violence.
Some day the nations will place their
trust in love, the weapon for which
there is no shield; in love, that suf-
fereth long and is kind; in love, that
is not easily provoked. that beareth
all things. believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things; in love
which, though despised as weakness
by the worshipers of Mars. abideth
when all else fails.
(Signed) wv. J. Bryan"
When Mr.. Bryan met newspaper
men at his home to give out his state
ment, he was clad i'm a military look