The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-12


pacifist. He is not a pro-German or
Sinn- Feiner, but a real, unsub-
sidized, conscientious objector to
war. He objects to all war. He OBJ
jects therefore to this war.
He says that it is time that some
nation should set an example to the
world in the presence Of aggression
by not offering resistance to the ag-
gressor. Better that the whole ma
ton should be wiped out, its churches
and universities RACED to the ground,
its youth slaughtered or dragged
into slavery, than that people
should oppose force with force ana
fight for it's liberties.
My pacifist expresses these views
frequently. A number Of people say:
He is a nut" But a surprising num-
Der say: How beautiful! OF course,
his views are impractical. But it is
good in times like these that there
should be someone who clings to
ideals"
Whereupon, these honest people
subscribe to Liberty bonds and do
other things to help wage war
against Germany. for they are on the
whole level-headed citizens. But once
week they grow sentimental about
my pacifist.
But it happens that that is ex-
actly what he is not.
Not An IdeaIist.
An idealist is a man who believes
that the things you can't see. and
hear and touch and taste and smell
are more important than the things
that actually do strike your physical
senses. He thinks for instance that
love is worth more than money;
that to speak the truth and be poor
is better than to lie and own
limousine; that to be right Is better
than to be President. The real ideal
list believes that liberty Is worth
more than prosperity and comfort.
He is willing to give up his dollars
and his comfort to preserve IL. He
even thinks that liberty for his chill
dren or other peoples children is
worth more than his own life. He is
willing to risk bis life for it. He is
even willing to give up his life Tor
it.
The pacifist declares that he also
believes that the things OF the
spirit are better than the things of
the flesh. In fact, he has an idea
that he is the only fellow who does
believe that. He thinks that liberty
is fine and slavery is awful.
But
When his neighbors are carried
into slavery. he scurries into his cell
lar for fear of attracting the atten-
ton Of the sIave-driver and irritat-
ing him with an appearance Of dis
approval.
When his own liberty is threaten
ed, and not only his own liberty but
the liberty OF his children, he pro-
poses to give up that liberty with
out a struggle. and moves that the
keys to the front door be formally
presented to the burglar. the cut
throat and the ripper.
Does the pacifist love liberty more
than prosperity and comfort and
life?
We suspect not.
Does he love the things of the
spirit more than the things you can
uncork or eat with mayonnaise?
Scarcely.
Talks While Wrong Triumphs.
The pacifist converses beautiful
Iy. Meanwhile, wrong may triumph,
liberty may be quenched, men and
women may be sold into slavery, art,
literature and religion may be flung
back a thousand years.
BE it sol" cries the pacifist. Bet
ter that, than to slay and to be
slain!"
Better that the spirit of man be
trampled under the feet of horses,
than the body! Is that it, pacifist?
Better anything" cries the pac-
fist, than to take life
Better to let your daughter be
carried off into slavery, than to take
life? Better to let your son be made
a seryile subject of an autocrat,
than to take life? Better to let your
own freedom to think and speak be
controlled by a Prussian drill-serg-
cant, than to take life? Better to let
your little children be subtly i'm
fiuenced to revere German Kultur
more than the American ideal of
democracy-better that. than to take
life?
mot for mel" cries the man in
khaki. Far better to take life and
to give up life than to surrender thu
spiritual heritage of two thousand
years.
The man in khaki is right, for
that heritage IS the heritage of
Christ, threatened once more by the
barbarians.
Verify, he who saveth his life shall
lose it." cries the greatest idealist
that ever lived, "but he who loseth
his life for my sake shall have life
everlasting"
In this war between autocracy and
democracy can there be any ques-
ton which is Christ's side?
But the pacifist can see nothing