What a Wicked Spirit Is That of War!—
War in the sense of sanguinary conflict. And yet it is abroad everywhere. Mighty efforts are being put forth in public schools, in religious schools, and even in churches, to instil the spirit of militarism in the hearts of even the little boys and girls. But the glory of militarism is conquest, and conquest implies war, and war means the horrible taking of human life. War with Spain means that sweet, sad mothers and wives and children may mourn—from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Lakes to the Gulf. It also means that mothers whose sons are dear, wives whose hearts truly love their husbands, children who will become orphans, all of whom are loved of God, all of whom love friends and home and country, for all of whom Christ died, many of whom know nought of the real causes of war, will mourn, hopelessly mourn, the loss of loved ones by the banks of the Tagus, the Douro, the Guadalquivir, and Guadiana. “Christians” fighting “Christians”! “How long, O Lord, how long?”