The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-03-02
ara closely related by ties of blood.
Cause Is . False PhiIosoDhv.

Cause Is a False Philosophy.
81 have tried to find the cause Of
this war, and. if my analysis of the
situation is correct, the cause is to
be found IN false philosophy-in
the doctrine that might makes right
This doctrine was formerly proclaimed
quite publicly; now 1t is no longer
opening proclaimed, but it is some
times practiced when the temptation
is sufficient. Before you become ex-
c1ted-while you can yet reason. | APP
peal to you to set the seal of con-
domination against this brutal, bar
barous doctrine that might makes
right And that you may see more
clearly the Importance of reaching a
conclusion and procla aiming it, call
your attention to the fact that there is
but one code Of morals known among
men and that is the code that regu-
lates individual life. If this code of
morals is not to be applied to nations,
then there is no moral code which can
be invoked for the regulation Of in
ternational affairs.
"The nations that ADOPT the doc
trine that might makes right ara
quite sure to act upon the maxim
like cures like the fountain upon
which the law of retaliation is built.
The logic of the law of retaliation is
like this: If your enemy is cruel, cure
him of his cruelty by being more
cruel than he; II your enemy is inhu-
man, instead of trying to lift him out
of his inhumanity by the power of a
good example, be more inhuman than
he. Nations that enter q war on the
theory that might makes right are
soon IN a neck and neck race for the
bottomless pit, each nation justifying
is own cruelty and inhumanity by the
cruelty and inhumanity of its en-
envy.
'"There was time when some be-
lieved that war was q moral tonic
when some actually thought that un-
less people were kept up to fighting
pitch they would degenerate. That
seems absurd to us, for we know that,
if war were necessary TO mans
moral development, it would not be
left to accident or chance. If war
were a necessary thing, we would
plan for it as we plan for other
things which we consider necessary.
We know that food is necessary for
the body and therefore we provide
that the body shall receive food at
stated intervals, the intervals being
adjusted to the body's needs. And
so, because we believe the mind in
need of education we provide for
terms of school If we believed war
to be necessary we would call in ex-
perts and ascertain just how long a
man could go without killing some
one and yet maintain a high standard
of civilization, and then we would
provide for wars at such regular in
tervals as, in our opinion, would in
sure mans progress, and the time
between wars would then be like the
time between school terms-a time
when we could rest and relax and
get ready for another war. This we
would do if we regarded war as a
necessity. But, however, war may be
considered by some in the past, the
world now believes war to be not
only unnecessary and undesirable but
a calamity.
Each Said Other Started 1t.
eff there are any who doubt this
I am prepared to furnish recently
secured testimony. When this war
began the president offered media
ton and the rulers of the nations
then involved Immediately answered
and their answers were so much
alike that one answer might have
served for all. What did they say?
Each ruler said in substance: 81 am
not guilty; I did not desire this war;
] am not to blame for this war; some
one else began it. They all with one
accord denied the responsibility. The
world is to be congratulated that we
have reached time when no ruler in
civilized land dares TO admit that
he caused this war or even desired
it--this is a long step in advance. It
is not necessary therefore, to waste
any time in an effort 70 prove that
war is curse. That may now be
taken for granted and we are at
liberty to devote all of our energies
to the prevention of war.
''The real question we have to de-
eide is, What shall be our standard
of honor? Shall it be the European
GRANDDAUGHTER is the duelist's
standard-or shall it be a standard in
keeping with our aspirations and
achievements The advocates of ex-
+reme preparedness are attempting to
fasten upon this country the duelist's
standard of honor and we know what