St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-01-29
MILLENNIUM is NO MUSHROOM

sslfhe question before the country
IS whether this nation ought to be
prepared for war. Those who fa-
for being prepared do not mean
that they want war. What they
mean is that they want protection
provided against attacks, exactly
as the police r provided to pro-
teet taem from assaults by thieves
and murderers. In other words,
they do not assume that all the
nations of the earth are gentle, I'M
selfish homebodies who never go
out nights to steal and maraud.
Some people feel differently.
They are against preparedness.
They say that preparedness breeds
trouble. They think that we should
90 unarmed before the world,
greet everybody with a smile, ac-
cept insults philosophically, turn
the other cheek and expect all ma
tons 10 take counsel of our ex-
ample, regenerate, and rapidly
evolve into beautiful creatures like
ourselves.
This is sound theory. 1t is per-
feet brotherly love. It is Christlike.
III enough people will work at it,
something fine might result in
eight Or nine million years.
But why do those who feel so
brotherly disposed towards foreign
nations treat the rest of us here at
home SO cautiously? Why don't
they trust us, too? Why do they
keep their hands on their money in
the subway? Why do they chain
their watches to their bosoms?
Why put locks ON their doors?
THE fact i sthat their attitude
toward those of us who live with
them is their real attitude toward
the whole human race, and what
they are saying about preparedness
il only what they think they think.
IL we were at war, and our enc
mics were invading US, you would
find these same people undisturbed
because Of our unpreparedness.
You would find them grabbing their
money and their solid silver hair
brushes and dashing out the back
door To safety. And nobody would
blame them.
Now, 1 think that some folks are
led into talking against prepared
ness because they are afraid they
wont be counted among the enc
mics of war. They are afraid that
somebody will think that they want
to hold back the millennium. How
ridiculousi After all, this is still
ali imperfect world, and in his
working hours man puts in the
only licks he can at the job of has
tening themillennium. AT night he
needs sleep. And he can't sleep
a
with one eyee peeled for a burglar
who may come in through a door
that isn't locked. The very fact
that he is apprehensive because the
door is unlockedsis evidence that it
should be locked. 1t simply means
that up to the present time man
ran rest easier and do better work
iii there is acertain show of au-
thority in evidence to keep order.
AS the centuries go by, and man
develops, the necessity for these
demonstrations Of authority ought
to decrease.
t'The fact is that everybody is
against war and in favor of the
millennium. But there is a diff
of opinion as TO the speed
OF the millennium and it's mode of
Some think that the mil
iennium is coming on the run.
They believe that one Of these days
1t Will rush up 10 U door 10 make
us all happy and glad. This isn't
my idea. Personally, ! don't be
lieye that the millennium can run
q step. ! think that it will have to
be dragged by the heels and car
RED wherever we want to locate
it. / think that you and I and our
children and our children's child
rem will have to take of our coats
and pull away at it for all we are
worth. And If each generation
moves it q trifle we'll do weel.
Anyway, the millennium is not
here YET, and it is foolish to act as
III it WERE sid" in American
MAGAZINE.