The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-12-30

: blind, think. 10 that inveterat'
human nature which always, every
where, scouts the idea as treason tha
I'VE" could possibly be in the wrong
II is always they" as in Nast's draw
, ing Of the Tweed ring, who wantonly
who cynically, in cold blood plot oul
ruin.
Can ii be possible that there are
elements Of dotage in such patriot.
ism Does l., in essence, remind one
Of the impassioned statements OF
mothers whose children have become
involved in fisticuffs on the street ?
ITS that horrid Rogers boy: he's al
ways picking on Edwin" "My boy
was walking along the street minding
his own business, when Edwin Thomp-
son jumped out Of a doorway and at
lacked him"
In the same strain the owners Of
dogs give their rreconcilable versions
after dog-fght, "My dog never
picks a fight He was going along
looking neither to left nor right, when
that ugly bulldog of Hendrickson's
went for him" "My dogs the most
peaceful dog on the street. That
mastif of Johnson's is always looking
for trouble. He pounced on my dog
without a moments warning"
| Would it be well for the public tax
ing at face value these vehement and
sincere reservations to authorize Mrs.
Rogers and Mrs. Thomson to arm
their boys with loaded revolvers, and
for a stick of dynamite to be tied
about the neck Of each Of the peace
able dogs?
Presented on the part of nation
with which we are momentarily out of
sympathy, or under some friction, we
take no stock at all in the argument
that armaments are best guarantees
of peace. Gross hypocrisy, we call it,
for them to arm themselves under any
such transparent pretext' Plainly
they were getting ready to attack, all
the time they were building up their
army. "Why, the facts speak for
themselves" we declare, on the morn
ing after applauding that great speech
about strong army and navy being
the best conserver of peace this coun-
try could have. "Of course they want
ed war. If they didn't want war, why
were they so perfectly prepared ?"
Why, indeed That is exactly the |
way people are bound 20 reason about
us.
81 see the United States is going
to spend billion on an increased |
army and navy" one can fancy being
said at good many breakfast tables in
South America, for example. "Won-
der whom she's going to attack"
And if bystander should answer:
"She doesn't want to attack any
body: she's awfully afraid, on the con-
trary, that somebody may want to at
tack her, natural the retort.-
"My dear sir, tell that to the ma
rinesl Look at the war her yellow
press whooped it up year or two ago
to go down to Mexico and lick the
dirty greasersn 1t would probably be
our turn mex. Look at our mineral
wealth Don't tell me American cap
ita,ists, out at pocket after war with
Mexico, wouldn't turn greedy eyes on
our vast natural resources. ! tell you
We must be prepared We must be
strong enough to make :he United
States, or anybody else. afraid to at
tack us. 1t isn't as if those dollar
worshipping gringoes had the same
nigh ideals that we have" etc, etc, etc,
word for word, i. is pos
sible, the formulas of our prepared !,
ness mass-meetings.
1T IS only In Its own eyes, says
DR.. Hamilton, fresh from talking with
many of the belligerents, "that any
nation arms for defence"
We think, perhaps, that it doesnH !.
much matter whether our sister re-
,ublics in South America, or Mexico, :
'r Japan, or Germany look upon US
With suspicion. We know we don't
mean mischief. They are sure to find
n time, that they were unnecessarily !,
suspicious. Nothing un:oward will !
lappen; not even when some of our :,
more excitable newspapers print rath- :"
r blood-and-thundery editorials, ard :,
attic the sword, so freshly and thor !
ughly sharpened. Such threats and
pithets naturally ge: reported abroad, !:
/ is true, and create unpleasant feel- :
ngs; but as time goes on, and this !
ountry, fully armed, but impeccably !,
leans benevolently on her "
HELD, all will grow serene again.
Let US look at this poin. also,--if
ie are not too stiff-necked,-from an
thcr angle. When we became sus-