New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-30

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Shall we prepare for war? is the ques-
ton before the country. If Congress within
n couple Of months decides that we shall
what is the most enduring kind Of prepara-
ton? To my mind il is the doing of justice
and the conserving of the freedom of the
people. which the constitution Of every state
promises, but which the statutes and courts
Of all the states nulify or disregard Justice
and concomitant freedom mean to the honest
enlightened and sincere an unrented right
to life.
The disgraceful necessity of conscription
on the part Of the British government after
only one year of war ought to be a lesson
to the governments of the various states OF
our Union Notwithstanding the mighty
tribute that Englishmen taking from
Asia. Africa and America, an amount of
wealth which Lloyd George tells US is SUM-
cient to maintain the war for five years, the
great masses of the people in the British
Isles are poor Some few have lived upon
the crumbs that fell from the tables Of the
rich investors abroad, but great many have
been pushed to the wall by their disposses-
sion from the lands that are now used as
plavgrounds for plutocrats. England has not
established justice for her plain people and
has forgotten to conserve their freedom, and
for this neglect and omission she is paying
Il fearful price.
Recently a government agitator, in an
cTort TO rouse the patriotism of great
meeting of men and persuade some to enlist,
exhi bitod a collection of cottages and asked:
"Are these homes worth fighting for" A
voice from the crowd shouted AYE; let the
man that owns them fight for them!' The
owner might have been an English Astor. 1t
is not unreasonable 70 ask men to fight for
heir homes to strike for their affairs and
their fires, for the green graves of their sres.
But what manner Of man will fight for a
lodging house, the ministratons of the Saliva
ton Army or the privilege Of decent burial in
the Potter's Field?
To force men to 90 of to the trenches to
defend a government that has not defended
them. though instituted for that very pur-
nose. a government that has been perverted
and made the most potent instrument of
their exploitation and oppression, is tyranny
indeed English promises of Home Rule TO
Ireland and farer distribution Of wealth
throughout the empire are not now amply
believed 10 make the oppressed flock to her
standards SO English opulence trembles in
its palaces. Oppression shudders to think
The oppressed now have their turn. Greedy
lords and landlords turn pale at the peril
IN which their monstrous ayarice has placed
them. Fat, lazy and impotent to defend their
property, acquired by hook or crook, they
yainly mplore their victims whose funda
mental rights they have stolen, to rush to
their rescue and sacrifice in their behalf
what little life they have left
The lawyers who are governing Britain
have not been good enough nor wise enough
20 restore TO its citizens their ancient right
Of access to the soil, which made them the
freest people in all Europe They have not
compelled restitution Of the commons stolen
from them while they were fighting Napo-
icon. a perfdy that caused Byron to ask
Wellington the question: "Who, my lord,
nut YOU and yours have gained by Water
loo?" England's government has nurtured
a blighting parastism that has injured the
saving patriotism Of her inhabitants and now
leaves her nearly naked to her enemies.
Let Americans be warned by the pitiable
predicament of Great Britain and wipe from
their own constitutions and statutes the
great number of parasitic eggs that have
been stealthily planted in them by the
jackals Of absorbing privilege. Already the
soil of the United States is in the legal
possession OF too few to give employment to
myrads of persons who were born in the
country The democratic spirit Of the
fathers, the tyrant tanners of l776, declared
that all men had an inalienable right TO life,
liberty and happiness; but the growing
legalites in the legislatures. courts and ad-
minlstrations Of the states obtained the
usurpation Of fundamental rights. This abro-
CATION OF human rights was begun by the
reactionares IN the Constitutional Conven-
ton Of 1857. The direct and honest method
I OF raising revenues for the support OF the
government which the Congress of the Revo-