The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-06-17

| livery eieHenC was tnere and the
contest had to come sooner or late,
and it Is not going to be by accident
that the results are worked out bu-
by purpOse--by the purpose Of the
men who are strong enough to have
guiding minds and indomitable wills
when the time for decision and set.
tlement comes.
And the part that the United
States is to play has this distinction
in 1t, that it is to be in any event a
disinterested part. There is nothing
that the United States wants that II
has to get by war, but there are a
great many things that the United
States has to do. 1t has to see tha,
its life Is not interfered with by any.
body else who wants something.
There are the days when we are
making preparation, when the thing
most commonly discussed around
every sort of table, in every sort OF
circle. in the shops and in the
streets, is preparedness, and un-
doubtedly, gentlemen, that is the
present imperative duty of America
to be prepared. But we ought to
know what we are preparing. re-
member hearing a wise man say once
that the old maxim that every lning
comes to the man who waits is all
very well provided he knows what he
is waiting for and preparedness might
be very hazardous thing If we did
not know what we wanted to do with
the force that we mean to accumx-
late and to get into fighting shape.
America, fortunately, does know
what she wants to do with her force.
America came into existence for a
particular reason. When you look
about upon these beautiful hills and
up this stately stream and then let
your imagination run over the whole
body of thfs:great country from which
you youngsters are drawn, far and
wide, vow remember that while it had
abortgfnar inhabitants, while there
were psopIs living here, there was no
civilization Which we displaced. 1t
was as X In the providence Of God
continent had been kept unused
and waiting for peaceful people who
loved liberty and the rights of men
more th&n they loved anything else,
to come ana set up an unselflsh COM
monweaith. It is very extraordinary
thing. You are 80 familiar with
AmericAy history at any rate in its
general character. / don't accuse you
Of Knowing the details of it, for I
never found the youngster who did
but you are SO familiar with the gen
eral character OF American history
that 1t does not seem strange to YOU,
but 1t is very strange history. There
Is none other like 1t in the whole
annals of mankind-of men gathering
out of every civilized nation of the
world on an unusued continent and
building up polity exactly to suit
themselves not under the domination
Of any ruling dynasty or Of the am
bitions of any royal family: doing
what they pleased with their own life
on free space Of land which God has
made rich with every resource which
was necessary for the civilization they
meant to build up. There is nothing
like 1t. Now what we are preparing
to do Is to see that nobody mars that
and that. being safe itself against in
reference from the outside. all Its
force is going to be behind its moral
idea and mankind is going to know
that when America speaks she means
what she says. heard O man say to
another, II you wish me to consider
you witty I must really trouble you tc
make joke We have a right tc
say to the rest of mankind, If you
don't want to interfere with us; IL yor
are disintercsted, we must really trou.
BILE you to give the evidence Of thai
fact We are not in for anything self
ish and we want the whole might,
power Of America thrown into thai
scale. and not into any other.
"You know the chief thing that 1.
holding many people back from en-
thusiasm for what is called prepared
ness is the fear Of militarism. 1 wan
to say a word to you young gentle
men about militarism. You're not
militarist because you are military
Militarism does not consist in tn
existence of an army, not even in tn
existence Of very great army Mill
tarism Is spirit. 1t is point of view
1t Is system. It Is purpose. TIL
| PURPOSE of militarism ia to Use arn,ie