Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-07-14
W. Must Do 1t to VIM.
Lao of Savage and Desperate

channel there had to be a sort of truce
OF God" between seedtime and harvest or
everybody would have starved. This was
the case in Egypt. in Babylonia. in an
cient India. In Greece, in the lands of the
IncaS and the Aztecs-irrigated countries
all. All early civilization flowed through
a ditch, because the ditch was the one
thing in ancient life that put the need OF
a check on strife before men in such q
way that they could not disregard it.
Civilization Depends Upon "RuIes."
And therefore, while the Peruvians were
building roads and raising palaces whose
remains are still the wonder of mankind
the tribes OF eastern North America, un-
der skies that dropped rain. were ex-
terminating each other and collecting
each others scalps. And In the old world.
, while our erman and Celtic ancestors
were drinking wine out OF each others
skulls. the Romans, In the land of bitches.
were building the Pantheon and spreading
the gospel OF good roads to the ends of
the earth.
In fact. no native civilization ever grew
up In a land with a natural rainfall,
where men could live by hunting and pro-
tect crops simply by defending the fields
themselves, until Christianity, by its eff
rect on the romantic northern mind, pro-
duced the laws of c%hivalry, which were a
limitation on savage war. What the irrt-
eating ditch imposed in Egypt and Italy
and Peru-a law of war that might not
be broken-the effect Of Christianity on
the human mind imposed in the regions
with more than % inches Of rain a year.
1t Is clear that, from the point Of view
or race survival and culture survival, the
two tribes that fought by rule, n quit
long before either had exhausted the other
In all respects. would grow and increase.
while the tribes that enslaved and BUTCH
NA~A ~~~I 49, -.>-NI 49,
down-just as the North American In
dams did. The wars OF savages are wars
OF determination; the wars of civilization
are wars OF temporary advantage. Tn
nation that Is defeated" in the modern
sense quits with a great deal of unex-
hausted strength n lives. even in a mill.
tary age. to fight again, perchance to
win. But the history Of our own Indians
proves that many a tribe was completely
wiped out by its foes.
Things More Desirable Than 'Winning.'
These are many things that may come
from warfare that are infinitely worse
than defeat. The plea Of Germany-'We
must do 1t to WINS no new thing; |. is
older than history. 1t is not a newly dis
covered principle. to be tried out by
modern nations: It Is utterly outworn and
discredited and unworthy of a moments
consideration by the modern man. de-
ISCcuuCU ITOm ITlOcS Iu6I S6VCQ themselves
from determination because they per-
ceived that there are many things worse
and more ~unthinkable than being
thrashed.
Shall we, in the face Of the evidence Of
thousands Of years Of history, make an
excursion back into lured by
the fallacy that piled the bones OF for
gotten peoples in windows upon the bat
tlefields Of the past?
H that saveth his life shall lose It."
said the Christ. SO says the story Of the
nations since the first man spared to
work out his vengeance, out Of regard for
the common good. since the first wander
ing a n of warriors turned back from
the ditch in the summer time. where the
life-giving water trickled around the base
of the hills. to spread itself on the fields
below.
Christianity and common sense are one.
The man who will do anything to VIM
is The maj who loses.