Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-08

Tho conception Of the state as broth
hood that embraced himself ana mad the
right to exact from him sacrinces which
he, on his part, should have been glad
to make, had well-nigh vanished from
his consciousness. He was voluble on
what the nation owed him; he was reti-
cent on what he owed to the nation. Elo-
quent about his rights and developing q
progressively bitter spirit OF class an
tagonism-an antagonism that was pois-
oning the industrial relationship at It's
source-he threatened to become about as
futile and unpleasant citizen as any
that cucumber this planet But the war
has given him a new perspective. He
realizes that to take up arms at the
bidding of the state Is not to be cub
jected to a form Of slavery but to exercise
a proud privilege. He sees now that
there is no freedom but in service and
no happiness but in sacrifice. He. has
grown nationally self-conscious. He has
felt for almost the first time that he was
a working and considered unit in great
democratic whole, and that there was
something else In life beyond the salts
faction Of his own petty appetite. One
cannot even begin to estimate the enor-
nous contribution that universal service
has made to the cause of British democ-
racy; how 1t has blotted out class reel
ing, has made wealth and birth OF no
account, and has unified the nation by
imposing upon all its members an equanty
Of obligation. In that new England winch
will emerge from the furnace Of this war.
an England physically made over inuren
to discipline, making character an
achievement the test of honor, scornfLl OF
old distinctions and insistent upon the
bonds that link and not upon the divis-
ions that separate r<ch and poor, en-
ployer and employed, the palace and the
slum-in that vigorous and triumphant
democracy compulsory military service
l hope and believe. will take a fixed
place in the national fabric.
If this has meant so much for England
may we not expect equally GOOD results
here in America? The little republic III
the Alps has shown US the way to DO
this in a thoroughly efficient manner
without taking the young mon from their
industries and their homes any more than
is necessary to produce a sure result.
In the presence of this question other
issues-temperance. conservation, taxa
ton, woman suffrage-sink into insignifi-
canoe so long as the future is pregnant
with the doubt as to whether we shall
be free to decide any of these questions
as we wish.
BY adopting this resolution Maine will
speak its mind through its representative
that we advocate establishing genuine
democratic military system erected on
the fundamental democratic principle Of
universal obligation. In closing ] want
to emphasize, as our adjutant general in
recommending the passage Of this reso-
luton did at the hearing, that until such
system is established the National Guard
is the only body we can look to outside
the regular army, and the National
Guard is entitled to support from us and
from the people Of our State in its work
of recruiting.
For these reasons, Mr. President and
senators, I believe that the State of
Maine will be doing some service TO
the nation by recommending the es-
tablishment of a system of universal
military training, system based es-
sentially upon democratic principle,