The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-06-05
,mopeanPeacetoEndf Tn Crseof Kmgship1
Kmg They Have Ceased the
Has When the People Can Represent Themselves the Democracy the
TRUTH Its Eyes Refuse Dazd by Flags Medals and Uniforms This War Will Not
Inv World

whom they may override ~ WILL = lney Ar
not as a rule men and women Of great culture.
few any have ideas that belong Of right to
the twentieth century. their function has out
grown them and the reverence they demand
and receive is founded very largely upon ignor-
aaco and superstition
To plunge Europe into war for purely per
sonal ends has always seemed In the eyes OF
kings a reasonable action. Frederick the
Great admitted that he started the Seven Years
War by stealing Silesia from Austria for glory
and the records OF Spain and Austria are full
Of similar crimes.
Now that Europe has been shaken rom base
TO summit will the sober manhood OF the
twentieth century allow the present system TO
endure?
On the other hand. I see a great movement
toward giving hngship tSesh lease OF hfe'
toward perepetuating secretWiplomacy and de-
veloping cleriealism. But men who have stood
face TO face with the living God should decide
10 worship henceforth after the inclination OF
their own hearts. Elderly gentlemen OF con-
sentative tendencies are already writing TO
warn the. public that. however awful the chaos
now prevailing. democratic rule would have
made Il worse. i welcome such warnings, for
they are a proof that the upholders OF tradition
are at last aware of the slippery places over
which they must SO shortly tread.
II the democracy the truth. II its
eyes refuse to be dazzled by flags. medals and
uniforms and its ears win convey each plaus-
ible speech TO the brain for sober analysis
this was will not have been waged in vain
l hold in all seriousness that 1t Is a strife
OF kings. Gladstone once asked anybody 70
tell him how the Austrian Empire had been
OF any service 10 humanity. The aggregation
OF uncongenial nationalities has been kept to-
gether for the greater glory OF the effete house
Of Hapsburg. house whose true history. even
since Kaiser Franz Josef came to the throne.
could not be printed. The genius OF the Ger
man people. their magnificent education, stern
dicipline, tireless industry and full nursesies
we're conquering both hemispheres. but that
was not sufficient Unless the German could
pay tribHte TO the house OF Hohenzollern and
increase the imperial prestige. progress was a.
egg without salt to the palate Of the Potsdam
hierarchy.
The fruits OF forty years OF labor and a gen
Grafton OF child bearing were flung into the scala
that the Hohenzollerns might stand more d.
rectly IN the limelight
he people whose blood was to be split
whose wives were to be widowed. whose wealth
was TO be squandered. were wilfully deceived
and were driven to war as the Pharaohs drove
their warrior-slaves.
Their awakening must come and with Il let
as hope a further accession OF strength to the
Social Democracy that is the best hope OF Ger
many.
We know that neither England nor France
desired war. that Russia, whatever her interest
In the great Slav-Teuton controversy. was not
ready for II, and the worst to be said OF the
Allied Powers Is that. conscious Of an enormous
menace. they united to destroy It, But every
thinking man knows that without the ambi
lions OF few officials this war had never
come about.
have often compared the position OF re-
pubcs with that of monarchies and have cited
the American Republic The United States
lives in peace. even the South American States.
with their mixed population. their Spanish
Portuguese German and Italian blood, are sell
dom found at strife.
Royasts have spoken 10 me glibly about
the corruption that Is said to be inherent in
republics IL is about the only charge they can
formulate, and the reply is obvious In re.
publics corruption is hard TO hide. II comes to
the surface and Is visible TO all. In monarchies
corruption. no less rife is hard to expose: all
the avenues to light and free speech closed.
Your republic brings character and brains 10
the top, your monarchy makes statesmen Of
eourtiers. sycophants men. who will bow the
knee to the Baal OF the hour
republic Is open 70 the afr OF heaven A
monarchy Is a garden enclosed. richer in ranh
republic the Social Democrats could have
tria been republic. giving equal voice 10 al
the interests It affects to represent sympathy
with the Slavs would have kept the ruler,
from their disastrous attempt TO reduce Serbia
TO the status OF n vassal kingdom.
Kings have served their time. The ruler
who rode TO at the head OF his troops. who
could handle the heaviest sword OF battleaxe
who was both the ruler and Judge OF his people
belongs 10 a bygone era. His last raison d'etr,
passed with the era OF industry and rapi,
transit lie became an anachronism wheI
people began 20 realize that life II a gift 70 b,
wisely used and that racial antagonisms may
be cured or dispersed by close Relationship. II
IS for kings and for kings alone that millioni
OF men who have no real quarrel have slaugh