Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-11-01

~peaceable, home loving people
You have always had to keep them
under your thumb by forced serv.
ice, by CONSUMPTION, by the most
rigorous laws; you have always
had to drive them to war
Another exception occurs to
me-" said Pachmann, disregard.
ing the last sentence, "and one to
which | would call your attention,
since it occurred in a country
where the people r supposed to
govern. 1t was the people of the
United States who drove their
rulers into the war with Spain"
"That is true" Ward agreed
and it was a mistake, The PEG
pie will sometimes err when their
sympathy is appealed to and their
passion aroused. But the results
of that war were, on the whole,
good. A people was freed"
s"And another enslaved," said
Pachmann, with a sheer.
cit vas already enslaved,"
Ward corrected; "but | admit that
it was continued in slavery. That
was done by the rulers, not by the
people. Had the people been per-
mitted to decide, the Philippines
would have been free, no less than
Cuba. Their independence must,
of course, be guaranteed when the
United States signs IL treaty"
"But you admit, as l under
stand you," said .Pachmann, re-
turning to the main point, "that
to abolish explosives will not abol-
ish war"
II admit that, yes. To abolish
explosives is only the first step.
The final step will be the aboli-
ton of hereditary rule"
"The abolition of kings?"
"The abolition of kings, of en-
perors, of ears, of princes, Of
dukes, of all tyrants, great and
small, who, by reason Of birth,
now claim the right to tax or OPP
press or command even the mean
est of their fellow creatures. There
must be rulers, yes; but it is for
the people themselves to choose
them, and then willingly to submit
to them"
"But you are at this moment
treating with a king" Pachmann
pointed out. "Can you expect him
to agree to such a program"
"The world has outgrown
kings" retorted Yard. "In any
event, another so years will see
them all abolished. l but hasten
the end a little-the millennium.
And he will be happier when he is
merely a man like other men,"
Happiness is not the greatest
thing in the world" Pachmann OBJ
jected.
"And I say it is!'' cried Ward,
with sudden violence. "Not our
happiness-no; but the happiness
of our fellow creatures. That is
the greatest thing in the world /;
the thing for which every wise
and good man labors!"
There was a moments silence.
The prince shifted uneasily in his
char and clasped and unclasped
his hands. There had never been
such talk as this in the royal nur-
sery!
Pachmann's face was cynical, as
he lighted a fresh cigar.
"Dreams!" he sneered. "Beau-
tiful dreams! Do you know what
it is you are undertaking? You
are undertaking to change human
nature"
"That is an old cry" retorted
Ward scornfully. "And what if l
weref Human nature is changing
every dayl But l am not under
taking to change it wish mere
ly to free human nature from the
letters with which tyrants bind it,
so that it may grow straight and
strong, as God intended"
II am not acquainted with
Gods Intentions said Pachmann
coldly. He does not confide in me.
But my philosophy, my observa-
ton, and my experience teach me
that the wise man makes the best
Of things as they are, accepts the
facts of life, and does what he
can. He sees that the world is too
big for him to overturp, he realizes
that there are many things he can
not understand, his intelligence
sometimes revolts at what seems
to be oppression and injustice.
But he puts away from him the fall
lacy that all men are equal-they
are not equal, their very Unequal
ity proves it. Some m.,st rule and
some be ruled; for some life must
be pleasanter and more full Of
meaning than It il for others. Some