New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-26
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

Sir: There is one issue in this cam
paign that should be pressed in season
and out 1t Is the one raised by the
Democrats in the words "He kept us
out of war" 1t is not enough that Mr..
Hughes and Mr.. Roosevelt have shown
what has also been officially ruled
upon that Mr.. Wilson's policy did not
prevent what is substantially a state
of war with Mexico. We should meet
the boast in the broadest fashion.
Gilbert Chesterton merely laid down
a primal law when he said: UNLESS
you are going deliberately to prevent a
thing being good you cannot prevent
it being worth fighting for" How can
a man be too proud to fight for good
thing? AS we'll be too proud to defend
your life, your property or your rep
utation in a duly constituted court of
law. Is it the question Of blood she'd
ding that is involved? Would you be
too proud to defend yourself from a
highwayman though you had to spill
his blood, or, regardless of conse-
quences, to attack villain who was
assaulting your child? Even Christian
ity must be militant in time Of danger.
You cannot take out of the Scriptures
the sword of Jesus Christ, brought
into the world to destroy evil. How
low must a nation be sunk when, II its
cause be just, 1t cannot say with
David: blessed be the Lord my
strength, which teacheth my hands to
war and my fingers to fight?
Tho American people, who estab-
lished their liberty and independence
after a struggle against enormous odds,
are the last people on earth who should
choose a pusillanimous peace in pref
erence to war of honor. Nor would
there be the least chance OF their doing
so were it not for the influence Of the
epicene party of pacifsm and the COM
mercial element whose gods are the
goods of this world. When Wall Street
shivers at the runor of war and stocks
90 sliding down like an avalanche
started by the trump Of Gabriel, 1t does
not deserve all the scorn that at times
a patriot might be tempted to feel
toward It.
One of the silliest notions Of the
various faddists who can talk or live
in harmony on only one subject-the
denunciation Of war and warriors-is
that the financial interests which -four
ish better pecunisrily in war times than
in peace are greater than those inter
ests which even year OF successrul
war means more spoliation Of their sub
stance than can be replaced by ten
wears of peace and quiet On the con-
trary. the proportion the other way is
as one Schwab to a nation OF Swapians'
So it is far easier to keep trading
nation like ours out Of war than IL Is
20 lead IL into one. And there readily
NAV be circumstances that make the
task the more ignoble as well as the
easier one. Yes, it may well be, wneh
the long run of events is measured NOT
only an easier and more ignople' Out
also crueler ard bloodier one than
taking a people into war. If there ever
was a man who stands as high saint
and prophet to his people. 1t Is Aora.
ham Lincoln. And yet that man o!
tender heart, of salient sympatnies' OF
human faith, of humble ways, OF demo
cratic trust. led his country into war
rot with shame or sinking, but with
n.rschs that combined the spirit OF
ratriot. a Crusader, a prophet ana
knight of the Round Table. He TOOK
,hs sword Of the Lord and OF GIDEON
bo had the trumpets Of rams horn'