The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-09
PREPAREDNESS


Editor Star: Wisdom dictates that
the United States should be better
prepared for defense. But that is no
excuse for an orgy of extravaganza
in armament for air, land and sea.
Reasonable insurance of protection
is justifable against any possible in
vasion from across either Atlantic or
Pacific, after the present great war is
over. This can be done thoroughly,
sensibly, economically, without con-
verting our peaceful land and waters
into an armed camp.
War contracts grow with what they
feed on. Organized contractors can
make noise enough to mislead Con-
gress into thinking the public clamors
for unbrindled license in war expen-
ditures These raiders upon the
treasury may yet prove more of a
menace than any foreign foe. Let
them be sternly depressed. Every
patriot will gladly serve his country
with money, time, even life itself, but
none of use favor needless sacrifice
to enright the already oyergorged
coal, iron and munitions trusts.
Prepare for peace as well as for
war. My belief is that the politico-
economic changes growing out of the
great war, may involve far larger
problems for America than those of
military and naval defense. Unprece-
dented competition for the. markets
of the world will surely follow. To
meet it, we must have an organized
and perfected mechanism of CONNER
cial shipping, finance, distribution,
selling and exchange covering the
whole world.
This must be, accomplished here at
home by two vital reforms:
1. A reorganization of local, state
and federal government, os as to
abolish the present awful waste, ex.
travagance, graft and piling up of
taxes.
2. Such a reorganization of agri-
culture and other industries as to in
crease production and improve dis
tribution, SO that we may meet for
eign competition in quality, price and
quantity.
These forms of preparedness must
be done in such way as to help up,
not push down, the producer on farm
or in factory, or the toilers in trans
portation and distribution. Otherwise,
American civilization may decline as
rapidly as that of Europe's.
The right way out of all things new
and old issues will be found only il
our farmers, Il the masses who have
the time and Judgment to think
straight do well their duty. Serve
faithfully your school district, town
ship, electoral districts, county, state
and nation. Give to each the best
that is in you.
Be an American, stick close to the
true and tried principles of American
ism. Adhere to the Declaration of
Independence. Forget not the teach
ings of Washington, jefferson, Lin
coin, Mckinley. Leadership abroad
and happiness at home viii be insur-
ed better by following the Golden
Rule than by blindly chasing after the
false notion that might makes right.
The test of American citizenship is
upon US as never before. Here, as
abroad, ideals, actions, things, are in
the melting pot. Will the result be
better or worse for the United States,
the Americas, the world? Will the
farm owner become even more inde-
pendent and prosperous, more valu-
able to community, state and nation :?
Will the tenant become the owner of
his own farm or home? VIII the hired
man on farm and in factory have a
better chance. to ge on in the world :?
Will health and wealth, education and
social welfare, be the hostage of the
masses? Will peace and plenty pre-
vail in our blessed land of the free,
and gradually pervade the world
Or shall outocracy supplant demo-
cracy, the farmer become serf, the
worker "a slave? Shall the bureaucrat
rule over the citizen, the military over
the civilian, the rich over the poor? Is
this to be century of light, or re-
turn to the dark ages?
You and /, every citizen, must per-
form we'll our service in working out
the answers to these vital questions
that will not down until they are an
swered right. j. d. McCaskill.
Ocala, Fla, Aug. 5, 1916.
THE BEST LAXATIVE