Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-06-25
A LOST OPPORTUNITY
An Opportunity Of Proportions Ma
isstic Lost Magma Charta the
Document or Freedom-The An
niversary Of waterloo-Runnymede
and Waterloo are Alike in Truth.
W. 7. Williams.

w. Il. Williams.
When ia, "a Lloyd George stated
recently that England had three great
powers to del .at, two foreign and one
at home, ano hat the one at home
was by far the most dangerous and
destructive, we were peculiarly struck
by the statement. It affected us in
an unwonted manner. We hardly
knew what this man of genius meant
but having heard before of his
grand and useful accomplishments.
and that he was considered one of the
most practical of all statesmen, if
not the very leader, it was with pro-
found interest we gave ear to his
words. Previous to the hour when
this declaration was made, he had
travelled up and down the British
Isles, France and Belgium, making
his own Investigations; and after be-
ing convinced by the evidence, he af-
firmed with all the force of his we'll
wrought personality that alcohol was
the most perilous of all the foes of
the United Kingdom. This was TO us
no small saving. and ever since we
have watched to see how the people
Of the United Kingdom would handle
their most perilous foe.
In due time the matter was taken
up BY the government, and after
much debate in Parliament we are sur
prised to know that an opportunity of
proportions majestic has been lost.
IL was permitted to fall to the ground
and be tfampled under the feet of its
enemies. The most perilous foe was
not dealt with as such. Almost as
much liberty as before was granted
to It, and why this was done we adj
mt that II Is beyond our under
standing. We fail to see the reason
Tor such gross carelessness. The neg
iect Is too great for US to fathom.
Recent tidings from England indi-
cate that there win be no radical
movement against the saloon. The
mountain has labored and a very nice
little mouse is coming to the birth.
Beer viii be brewed with little less
alcohol; the hours in which liquor Is
70 be sold will be shortened: but
there will be no wholesale closing OF
the saloons. We are sorry. A great
opportunity has been lost. WHY aid
not the leaders Of the church of Eng.
land rise TO their opportunity Wh,
did they not cry out Gods message
Of warning and Of personal self-denia
instead Of sitting under their eourd
and disappearing in whales belly 7
From this side OF the ocean Il looks a.
n they had lost a wonderful opportuni
~ for spiritual leadership.
THE United States had a war fif
tv years ago. II rose over the con
stitutional question whether a stat,
had a right 10 secede from the Union
II took longer to settle that question
with the bayonet than we had ex
pected Then IL dawned upon us thai
this was not the real question. W.
were fghtine secession Incidentally
but our real enemy was slavery. II
would be blessing to England Il
this war continued four years, Il
necessary. tin the nation come 10 III
knees and forever destroyed the drinl
evil as a Iegalized institution"
What we have quoted is an edi
torial which appeared lately in on'
of our leading periodicals, and one O
the many which we have read on thil
point. beyond shadow Of doubt th'
British Empire has lost a golden op
portunity, and we hope and pray tha
she will see Il in the near future. WI
will patiently wait for this TO conn
to pass. hoping and praying, as w
have said that we, eventually, will no
be disappointed.
Now, when we look to the histor,
Of England we find that on June .15
1915. King John signed the Magni
Charta. This took place on an is
land in the Thames, between Staine
and Windsor, Just exactly seven hun
dred years ago. The sullen monarcl
and the barons who represented tn
people, or as they called themselves
''the army Of God and the Hol,
Church. met in conference and tn
document Of freedom was signed. Tn
prerogatives. of the people were rec
ognized on the marshv bank Of tn
river at Runnymede where the baron
had camped., The great MAGMA Chart
came to be an spite of the sullenness o
King John.
II was drawn in the form of roys
grant, but In reality II was a treat
between the sovereign and the people
SoIemnly didnit declare itself to b
the kings free act. but in reality
was forced upon.-him at. the point Q
the sword. England can kill kin
and build his -sepulchre afterwardl
"The army Of God and the Hol
Church" had grown until virtually tn
whole nation was in arms against II
monarcht He appeared at. Runny
mede against his will, and against hi
will did he add his name to the Grea
Charter Of liberty. It's provision
are as follows: The Church was to ;
free: no freeman was to be taken, In
prisoned or banished except by Law
ful Judgment of his peers; iustic
should neither be sold nor delaye
nor denied. This was a splendi
achievement, performed in spite {
the tyrant. and the people regarde
Il then, as they still do, as the shee'
anchor Of their liberties. It was a
y accomplishment that will not be fol
kotten as long as the constitution {
man remains as II is. He must
changed before Runnymede will ia
out of his memory, or into oblivio
The Magma Charta Is the foundatic
Of that structure which our believe
Abraham Lincoln so happily name
"a government Of the peopie, for Il
people. by the people," Seven hui
dred years have elapsed since It wi
Ibid. and Il was dated, June 10. III
Through all these years the people
the earth have striven to build on
and let as confess with gladness
our hearts, more or less successful
". With all its years 1t Is the mo
modern Of all modern improvement
We cannot outgrow desire for ia
chance to live We are still striviI
against the encroachments OF u
powers that be.
Could the year be more auspiciol
for ENGLAND to publish another cha
ter against legalized- waste? Cou
the season be more favorable to spei
out against the tyrant of tyrants? ? v
think not, and we are sorry that SUI
/. not the ca ao 7. u An. onnort1initv