Mexico Missouri message., 1915-06-17
Asks No Mercy if Verdict" Is Against
His Action.
ONLY DIFFERENCE IS In METHOD
Real Issue Is Between Force and Persuasion-Cams That
Message to Germany Represents Old System
While He Advocates the New.

is only charitable that we should
credit all of it according to the rules.
of the old system. They believed that
firmness would give the best assur-l
ance of the maintenance Of peace,
and, faithfully following the prece-
dent, they went SO near the fire that.
they were, one after another sucked
into the contest.
Never before have the frightful fol-.
lies of this fatal system been so clear
ly revealed as now. The most civil.
lied and enlightened-aye, the most
Christian of the nations of Europe
are graphing with each other as IT,
in death struggle.
Was Fruit Of Old System.
They are sacrificing the best and,
bravest of their sons on the battle,
field; they are converting their gar
dens into cemeteries and their homes.
into houses of mourning; they are tax
ing the wealth of today and laying a.
burden of debt on the toll of the fu-.
ture; they have filed 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
side seeks to starve noncombatant
men, women and children on land.
And they are so absorbed in alter
nate retaliation and in competitive.
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 it's fruits. The
war in Europe is the ripened fruit OF
the old system.
This is what firmness, supported by
force, has done in the Old World.
Shall we invite It to cross the At
lantic? Already the jingoes of our
own country have caught the rabies,
from the dogs of war. Shall the op--
ponents of organized slaughter be-
silent while the disease spreads? {
Plea for Permanent Peace.
AS an humble follower of the
Prince Of Peace, a devoted believer
in the prophecy that they that take
the sword shall perish by the sword"
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 will
ingness to continue negotiations with.
Germany until an amicable under
standing is reached, or, at least, until
the stress of war is over, we can ap--
peal from Philip drunk with carnage
to Philip sobered by the memories
of an historic friendship and by
recollection of the innumerable ties
of kindship 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-why not now?-the ma.
tons will learn that enduring peace
cannot be built upon fear-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 suffereth long and is kind; In
love, that is not easily provoked, that
beareth all things, believeth alA
things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things; in love which, though de-
spised as weakness by the worship
pers of Mars, abideth when a1 else,
fails.
w. ]. BRYAN.