The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-07-21
eye will ever see,
These are the murdered builders of the
world that was to be-
The World Is Against War.

/
| world that was to be-
| The World Is Against War.
1.-THE whole world is against war to-
| day. but where is ,fhe sufficient states
manship to show those who grope in
| darkness with great lamentations, the
| way to peace.
| .:Militarism protects no institution. 1t
endangers them all and with us it violates
| the covenants that have brought us with
1 distinction to this hour. And IL Is thls
| preparedness, advocated by selfish finan-
| cial interest and those who have been
| deceived by them. that We move against.
| We declare for preparedness ior peace
we announce a constructive programme
| to the nation. ,aro
| and the preparation that we piedge
| our lives and sacred honor, to quickly
! give this nation, if elected TO power, Is
| the preparation for peace tnat, ao VIC
tinguished from the preparatory io III we" re
which the dominant parties OF tae re-
public Jointly advocate, Is as uiilerei'
as right differs from wrong.
| ..He serves the world who saves Amer
1--WE stand unequivocally for the Mon
.aThe financial position of the United
States today is such that Wnei .h a maa
| closes. no nation will be able to hnance
| a new conflict without American Soiu'
We are not dreamerS.
| eve are for peace. and for the pre-
paredness on land and sea ina. MAJ, VIII h,itv
! insure it to us, and through us secure
! peace for others and Tor an.
World Court With Power.
s'What then is the first step!
.sThe very first step in Americas pre-
paredness for world peace shouid pe an
announcement to the nations by JOINT
| resolution of congress-, OF our purposes
| This announcement should declare Tor
! n permanent World Court, to when an
| differences between the nations should
| be submitted,-a world court with power
| Reciprocity A Commercial 6rothernooo.
"But there is another weapon ana
weapon most powerful, ready for the
| hand of such court.
.s'rhe time has come and it is a high
| timS when the United States should
evolve a definite program for interna-
| tional reciprocity"
Mr.. Polling here referred to the fact
| that James G. Blaine and President
! this proposal, which. however, has been
practically ignored by congress and all
recent administrations.
In reciprocity we will find not only
| that absolutely essential reimbursement
of trade conditions. but the economic
| basis for abiding world peace as well.
For times such as these the tariff
| declaration of the temporary chairman
the platforms of the Democratic and
Republican parties are altogether mad
equate. Twenty years ago they would
have aroused enthusiasm: Today they
are voices from the tomb"
What have the politicians done with
the $4,000 900, 900 appropriated for war
purposes of the past thirty years?
Taking up the question of the cost of
military preparedness Mr. Polling assert
ed, "out of $3.50, 100000 annually expended
for army and navy, at least $5O,O00,O0O is
excessive gain realized by the war man
ufacturerS in addition to what Is allowed
as a liberal profit" and on this basis
he inquiries
what have we done with the more
than two billion dollars spent for war
preparation since 1887 two billion dol
l;Irs, taken largely from the common
man, realized by customs duties on the
things we eat and use and wear?"
To-day we secure for every dollar
spent for battleships and aeroplanes,
munitions and all war equipment,
about IS cents worth of fighting
strength
"Take Private Profit Out Of War.
1.-THE prohibition party serves notice
now that if in power. in such a crisis,
private munition plants will be immed-
lately confiscated, continued under gov
ernment control with just wage for Ia
Dor, a just regard for the rights of all
stockholders, and a fair return to them.
And we here solemnly pledge, if the
temporary chairman has read the minds
termination, to move with all possible
rapidity to take private profits out OF
war.
'Can we regard seriously the peace
are absolutely dominated by the big
business interests that connive with each
other and with like interests in foreign
lands to enlarge their store by placing
vet further burdens on the poor; who
grow rich by traffcling in rotten ar
NOR while brave men die amidst burst
ing fiues that were weakened by the
hand of greed?'
Mr.. Polling here voiced an extended
arraignment of the Navy League, the
directorate of which, he said, were al
most without exception representatives
of firms directly profiting from naval
expenditures.
Referring to the LEAGUES proposal
of a $500,000000 national appropriation
for a larger navy" Mr.. Polling said:
"The Navy. league would finance the
cost of naval preparations by. taxes on
sugar, gasoline and by other duties,
taxes which the common man would pay;
they would. of course. continue present
indirect taxes which yield $40 million dol
build the ships. they quite generously
concede to the farmer and worker a share
in the labor of national protection by
allowing the working man. to pay the
cost of construction!
1.-THE scheme is mean and worthy of
its promoters. Let the two per cent of
the people who own sixty per cent of
our national wealth, rather than sixty
five per cent of the people who own only
five per cent of our national wealth, pay
the bill, for the two per cent enjoy the
only gains OF war.
IF militaristic patriotism runs to con-
per and steel in the United States, and
we are inclined to believe that it does
run to steal the Navy league is COM
posed almost exclusively of gentlemen
in whose COMPANY Paul Revere would
feel like a hired Hessian.
mo militarist gold will pave the. way
of the prohibition party to power. None
of those men sit IN these councils today.
We come to the people with clean hands
Referring to the Mexican situation,
Chairman Polling said: ''In Mexico we
are confronted by the inevitable-the
democratic administration has erred in
spite of the wise counsel of men fully
conversant with the situation. And the
republican party is as bad for four
years ago they evaded and passed on
the problem which now they so loudly
shout for chance to solve" ufI
Mexico needs no conqueror. and too
long has she been exploited. Bound.
beggared and bleeding, Mexico waits for
an international Good Samaritan.
Constructive Army.
Mr.. Polling declare that the party
stands for a federal army of men, who,
in time of peace, can be used for great
national projects of irrigation, refore-
station, development Of government
lands, the completion of an inland water
way from Florida to Maine. for the
prompt mobilization of national defens-
i've forces, and for railway construction
paralleling our sea coasts for commercial
use in time of peace, and in time of con-
fct affOrdng adauuatp facilities for