The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-04
of Finance
9WD
It win be cheaper to win the war

1t will be cheaper to win the war
than it will be to lose it.
The school of experience is very
thorough and sometimes very harsn'
xund the tuition is often high, but tnere
are times when there seems to pc no
other way to really get results AS
ration we have failed to heed the ao-
xce of the Fathers" of our country
.4fen they admonished US to prepare
for war in time of peace. Not nav,ns
done this, we must pay the price oi
our neglect. / believe ultimateN we
Will win the war and that democracy
Will survive and that autocracy VIII
be stricken down for q time az least.
IT is not my purpose to criticise the
sininistration for what it has done or
what IL has failed to do. will leave
that to others My purpose is rather
to point out some dangers, the ignor-
Ing OF which may cost us rivers OF
blood and billions of dollars This
raises the question whether hundred
millions Of people, covering vast area
with diversified and somewhat con-
flicting interests, really are perman-
emily capable Of self-government.
Democracy Is the greatest experiment
of civilization and 1t is yet on trial.
Volumes could be written upon the
dangers to democracy as related 10
our own country. Space. here, VIII
permit of dealing with two factors
that appear to me to be both pressing
ana fundamentally ss,s rss
we arscthe rhnSse Iawless people Of
any Civilized nation, and believe the
reason for this Is the lack of discip-
line in the American home and lax
administrator of our laws. Our chill
dren, as a class, resent discipline as
an INFRINGEMENT upon their rights
They are headstrong and inconsider-
!, ate Not being controlled and guided,
they lack self-control. In failing to
insist upon Immediate and full COM
pliance with reasonable requests, par
cents do their children q grave injus-
tice and make trouble for them and
others IN the years to come Similar
1y our courts and juries are too lem
lent in punishing attractions OF law
It Is my opinion, after a long period
OF observation and study, that the best
corrective of this condition is COM
4 pulsory military training. This would
do more than any other agency to
build up the physical manhood of
young men, TO instill patriotism, to
create respect for authority, to teach
self-control and make the young man
taking it more capable of adapting
himself to meet any situation in life.
1t would broaden his vision, clarity his
thinking, and bring home to him the
fact that in democracy every man
owes the country an obligation that,
whether rich or poor. he must pay in
personal service and upon equal terms
,fr rnrr in the
4 country and must yield obedience to
authority
The plan out lined in the Chamber
lain bill for universal military train
ing now before Congress is a we'll
khought-out measure. It insures a
square deal for all It will bring to-
gether young men from all walks of
: life and from all parts of the country;
boys from the homes of luxury and
boys from the homes of poverty. It
will put them in the same uniform,
x they will have the same duties to per-
form and will receive the same train
Ing without any distinction. This will
break down caste, remove misconcep-
tons; 1t will integrate us into real
nation, 1t will teach our young men
to think in national terms and make
democracy living thing instead OF
an empty pretense.
Congress can do nothing more nee
essary latter the present emergency
legislation shall have been disposed
of) to aid us in the present war and
insure the future safety of the nation
and at the same time the regeneration
OF American manhood, than to pass
something like the Chamberlain bill
and this should be done without de-
lay, the training under it to begin as
soon as the men called for service by
the selective draft shall have vacated
the environments now under construc-
ton
:, The next important factor in the
safeguarding of our country is the
compulsory use of the franchise. Pop
uIar government. or as the great-soul,
Cd Lincoln said, =. a government of the
people, for the people and by the PEG
p1e," requires that everyone entitled
to vote shall do so. In no other way
can We have safe, honest and eff
Gent government, and without sucf
participation democracy cannot con
tinue. We must realize that we ar,
not living in a FOOLS paradise. We ar,
In real world and we must take
mans port in it The price we mus
pay for liberty. II 1t is TO continue. ii
training for citizenship plus sacrific,
and service.
lbs e. p RIPLEY.
INCONSISTENCIES .