Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-12-10
Patriotism and Politics.

A momentous session of Con
gress-a new Congress that has yet
to show its temper and spirit--ha,
Just begun. 1t will have before il
many Of the old questions that fol
years and decades have divided
parties, but none of those issues
are what will make the session
memorable for good or for evil.
Newly perceived problems, upon
which men ought not, a1d we be
Iicye will not, divide upon party
lines, confront the country, says
an exchange.
There are those who declare in
almost hysterical tones that the
United States is in immediate
danger of war. They doubt that
the ship Of state can be so steered
as to avoid entering the great
whirlpool of the present war; and
they assert that, if by good luck
or by wise counsel that evil can be
averted, we shall still be in danger
of an early attack by some great
power, and a ~rayaging of our sea
coast, to which we can oppose only
hurried measures of defense that
might be too late.
On the other side is an equally
radical body of citizens who say
that we are a peace loving nation.
We have no enemies. We com
nit no Oi(enses, and other nations
consequently have no excuse for
attacking us. TO arm ourselves is
the surest way to bring war. 1t
is the beginning of ''militarism.n
1t will be time enough to "pre.
pare" when we are threatened
with war, for the American peo-
pie will always be able to furnish
4 body of citizen soldiery capable
Of defending the country from any
enemy. Tradition, eYvAliency,
economy, Christianity, ale all
against the theory Of extensive
preparedness" Not all VIII O
hold those views are for "peace at
any price," but most of them
would 90 to almost any length in
concession and forbcarance to avert
war.
Between those two extremes
stand, we believe, an immense
majority of the people. They dc
not want and will not have "mili-
tarism," but they see the necessi-
ty Of moderate and reasonable pre-.
paration. They do not wish for
war, but neither do they think
for a moment of submitting to out
RACES from any government that
may seek to pick a quarrel with
us. They have no idea Of giving
up the Monroe Doctrine, from a
fear that to defe d it may some
time be costly. They See-no one
can help seeing-that the incidents
of this war are not making all of
the nations friendly to us.
If that is the spirit of a vast
majority of the American people,
it is of course the duty of Congress
to translate that spirit into action,
and the duty of men of every par
ty, both in and out of Congress,
to co operate in the task. AL
though the administration is Who'll
ly in the control of one party,
everyone can see that, if there is
a division in Congress on this all
important subject, it will not be
on the usual party lines. Let us
hope that, if the vote is not unan-
imous, 1t will find in the majority
an overwhelming number of the
members Of both parties. 1t will
not be the part of true patriotism
for any member of Congress-, or
for any citizens of the republic, to
oppose the administration program
from party motives, If there are
any who must oppose it, let them
do 50 on the ground either that it
is inadequate for the occasion or
that there is no reason to fear
danger to the country.