The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1893-09-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE PEOPLE'S ANTI-WAR UNION.  Our national great royal demonstrations are specially remarkable for their military show and a "march past," and awarding honours and promotions on the war line. The awards are not given to the rank and file—no, but to the young bloods of the sons of royalty, peers, and landholders, who are secure behind the common soldiers, marched to the front of the battle as so many targets, to be shot down in shielding the objects of honour and promotion. King and statecraft is to Jingo the spirit of war; and what is the more shameful, Bishops and clergy, said to be followers of the meek and holy Jesus', lift aloft the war-flag, and pray for the success in the bloodthirsty effort of carnage and slaughter. The wickedness of war. It is no exaggeration to charge war as immoral and highly destructive of life and treasure, and therefore dishonouring to any country, especially to Great Britain, with its loud pretence of Christian government. If our wars were planned and arranged by a caucus of working men or a general body of working men, they would be denounced by the wealthy, prayed down by the Bishops, held up to acorn -by the Press, and cried down as outrageous and desperately wicked. They would be assuredly branded as outlaws, only to be put down by "stern rule." But simply because the mechanical figure-heads of England Jingo war, and the professionals ring the changes, the whole thing ie changed Wen murder to a Providence. The paradox is simply pitiable, if not shamefully degrading. Working men in the past have been tools unto kingcraft, statecraft, and priestcratt in this war business They have joined in the cuckoo cry of "We can find the cash and we can find the men," Ste. Yes, amid the Classes were found the masses bowing their knees to the god of war. and true to the very letter you have offered the. bone and sinew of your country to be shot down, and groaned and grumbled over paying the bills of war, until the yoke you've had to bear has almost knocked in the head your rightful prospects of sharing the fruitful sweat of your brow. -How long shall this state of things last? We are not without hope in the face of the fact that the schoolmaster has brought to the cottage of the toiler the luxury once confined to the sons of Broadacreage and the holders of a bank book; thanks to Li botal leaders such as Cobden, Bright, Gibson, Villiers, W. E. Foster, Gladstone, Ste., whooffered education to the working men, the masses now have a pereonal share in the legislation of the country. Again, I repeat I ain not without hope of the working men washing their hands of the corruption of war and giving an emphatic answer to all who believe in going to war—" Well, go, but we have resolved we will not fight, but leave the fighting to be done by those, and those only, who arrange for war." How, then, shall we settle international disputes? Our answer is, "Do with nations as you do with men." Forbid personal violence, and defend justice; or, in other words, reverse the order of war. Take stern council, and arbitrate, and call to your aid brain and heart, not revenge, aggression, and slaughter. It is no man's right to do wrong, especially to another. The nations have been glutted with wars, and are becoming sick of the uncivilised and brutish thing. It only requires an honest, outspoken democracy to stand out for the redress of the foul wrongs done to themselves, and through them to their country, to tind an echo from the Mas6oB to the class of rule that this war business; must come to an end; other nations groaning beneath their own yoke will be only too _gleti to join for arbitration when they see our own firm and honest aim at justice to all, favour to none. The people's anti-war union must be formed, and without pay I am willing to sacrifice no small amount of time to give the matter a temporary shape—say up to a point of special conference with that view, when plans may be adopted and carried forward. I shall be most happy through your valuable columns, or post direct, to find the pulse of my fellow men in this matter.—Yours truly, R. W. Duiliene. The Cottage, Great Ayton, R.S.O.