The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-02

among citizens of the United States
Prejudicial Discrimination against any
citizen because of his blood and
descent is unthinkable to Theodore
Roosevelt. When president he invited
Booker Washington to break bread
with him at the White House. He
appointed Jew to his cabinet. Those
were unpreced ented acts in our his
tory. They show the broad democracy
of the man. AS president he will not
recognize any difference between ma
tlve-born and foreign citizens, between
German Americans, Irish-Americans,
British Americans, or any other kind
of Americans, so be that they are all
Americans in fact as well as in name
lone nation is neither more nor less
greedy than another We are draw
ing to ourselves a disproportionate
share of the gold of the world We
are the envied of all the nations.
Whatsoever side shall win in the Eu-
ropean war, or if neither side shall
win decisively and the result shall be
a draw, in either event the dominating
control of world affairs will rest in
the hands of peoples made lean, hun
CRY, and necessitous by long continued
war.
At Our Very Doors.
Not only the eastern continent. but
even our neighbor Canada on this
continent, Will De peOpleQ DN men Su-
perbly trained to arms, and without
other occupation to which they rlay
readily turn, professional soldiers to
whom traffic in death and destruc-
ton will have become by long prat-
tice and habit not only the natural
and ordinary course of existence, but
the most obvious and the easiest
method of gaining a livelihood. To
such men, the people of the United
States, if their present condition of
military unpreparedness shall not be
mended, will appear as fat cattle with
horns caught in the brambles appear
to a pack of ravening wolves. And
the crimson feast will follow newt
ably, unless all Americans, disregard
ing every petty sympathy and preiu-
dice which tends to divide them, shall
unite now to provide for the common
defense.
THE people of the United States
must set their house in order. They
must prepare to defend themselves as
against instant assault No man can
tell when the hour of our infinite need
may strike. But strike it surely will,
unless we prepare ourselves for self
defense. We must not listen to the
quiXotic advice of the pacifists. They
say that the United States will never
be attacked. If attacked, they say, the
call would go forth from the govern
ment for defenders at sunrise. and
find an efficient army of a million
men in arms at sunset. That is down
right twaddle. The clear lessons of
history are directly to the contrary.
Equally it is nonsense to say as the
pacifists say, that the United States
must not increase her military estab-
lishment to a point adequate for de-
tense, lest thereby she might be tempted
into aggressive warfare. AS well argue
that man must not be frugal and
provident, lest having accumulated a
saving thereby, he might be tempted
into extravaganza and riotous living.
Foresight and Prudence.
Foresight and prudence never
make for disaster. Traitorous pacifist
newspaper advertisements advocating
failure to make defensive preparations
cannot change that truth. Has Swift
erland been tempted into the Euro
pean war by her preparedness D.? Has
Holland? Has Sweden? Who will be
bold enough to say, however, that if
those countries had not been prepared
to resist encroachment upon their
rights they would not have been over
run?
1.-The pacifists are old familiars. We
have known their tribal ancestors. and
| their family names, for generations.
They got into that Blue Book known
as Pilgrims Progress upwards of a
couple of centuries ago. Christian
met them on his pilgrimage. Two of
them were named respectively Simple
and 'Sloth Those men Christian
found asleep in a place of extreme
danger, with letters upon their heels.
He awakened them, and offered 70
help them off with their irons Sim
pie said, I see no danger Sloth'
said, Yet little more sleep And SO
they went asleep again, and Christian
went on his way.
Another named 9distrust' sought
to turn Christian back from the way
TO salvation He said, Just before us
lie couple of lions in the way,
whether sleeping or waking we know
not; and we could not think, If we
came within reach. but they would
presently pull us to pieces But
Christian went on. When he came to
the lions, and was frightened, a man
named 'Watchful' said to him: Fear
not the lions. for they are chained,
and are placed there for trial of faith
where it is. and for discovery of those
that have none; keep in the midst of
he path and no hurt shall come unto
thee So Christian got by the ions
he heard them roar, but they did him
no harm We must not listen to the
lineal descendants of Simple 'Sloth'
and 'Mistrust. We must not fail to
see the dangers which beset U.S. We
must not take a little more sleep. We
must not fear the supposedly danger
Gus lions in the path towards pre-
paredness and national safety
He Paid Gladly
and YOU" she said to the bach