Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume], December 23, 1916, Image 1

About Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1902-1919

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
H Vol. 27 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, DECEMBER 23, 1918 , No. 24
H Ai Independent Paper Published Under
H ;; ri Management of T. L. Holman ::
H EDITORIALS B Y JUDGE C. C. GOOD WIN
H An Announcement
H O EGINNING with this issue, Theodore L. Hoi-
H J- man assumes the management and will direct
M the policy of this publication. Judge C. C. Good-
M win will continue to contribute to the editorial
H columns, and for the time being James T. Goodwin
fl will be associated with the Weekly in an editor-
B ial capacity.
H Christmas Eve, Then And Now
WHAT must the first Christmas eve have been
like? We cannot conceive how ignorant the
M masses of the men of Palestine were. The few
priests could read, what the masses knew was
B what the priest3 read to them, and the legends
H that had been transmitted from father to son from
H the days of Moses down.
B But from these they grew up in the belief that
H they were God's chosen people and most of them
H looked upon David and Solomon as ancestors, and
H the belief was fixed that a Savior was to be sent
H What thrills there must have been in the air!
H How the hearts of men must have been stirred!
H We can believe that the new star came for
H astronomers have found out and located that
H star and can now calculate when it shone in the
H past and when it may be looked for in future.
H And if there is aught of truth in the Christian
H faith, the other phenomena of that night as told
H in the Now Testament was but natural, for
H heaven and earth were stirred as never before.
H It was an evenjt to fill the ether with the songs
H of Peace, to waken the sons of God to joyous
H acclaim; to set in accord the axles of all the plan-
H ets and suns that roll in space.
M The music that sounds the carols of the mod-
H em Christmas eve is but an echo of what was
H heard on that night. This year there is unusual
M solemnity in those echoes. More than half the
M civilized world is at war; the thunder of their
H cannon jars the world and distracts every song
H of peace and god will to man.
H Those who believe that Omnipotence directs
H the destinies of nations cannot, as yet, see the
M object of this mighty tragedy, and men grope in
H the darkness and ask in vain for the reason.
B And this unrest jars upon the carols that
H should be sung on Christmas eve, breaks in upon
H the thoughts of the devout, and fills with doubts
H the hearts of millions, doubts that If much longer
H held will shatter the hopes and faith of millions.
H Christmas Week
H 'V""1 HRISTMAo week should be a joyous week in
M ,riir' Salt Lake. Eggs and butter and beefsteaks
H tur'e high, but the movies are cheap and so are fin-
H, nan baddies and one can' make a long march when
H '.supported under the belt by finnan baddies. The
H ' ' shows are all in full blast. At this writing the
H
coasting is superb; the air is crisp and boys are
learning that the boy with the fastest sled always
gets the prettiest girls for partners.
The secret lies in the wages paid the workers
and the dividends paid the capitalists, so that al
most everybody has money. And the real Christ
mas gift carries more joy to the giver tlfan the
receiver, and when the air is filled with the Joy
of both giver and receiver, the very atmosphere
becomes glad and hence the benediction that is
upon Christmas week. The Christmas carols are
in the air, so are the stately anthems; so are the
ringing bells, and heaven bends down nearer to
earth than at any other time, and it is as when
on that day "the gods walked free with men,
though men knew not; for heaven was filled with
gladness for earth's sake," and the bright ones
Qome singing a song of praise.
And because of Christmas week the whole
coming year should be the gladder, for all its
influences are high and it is filled with signs that
mankind is growing better, more generous, more
unselfish, more considerate of each other and
that earth and heaven are drawing nearer each
other.
To Prepare For The World's Peace
WE still think that our country is losing prest
ige by not leading in calling a conference of
the neutral nations to consider proposals for in
suring the future peace of the world and indirect
ly to bring a pressure to influence the nations
now at war in the direction of peace.
We cannot understand why there should be
any debate over the rights of neutrals in this con
nection. A neutral means simply that he shall not
favor one belligerent at the expense or to the
disadvantage of the other. That does not imply
that a neutral shall surrender any inherent rights.
Two men engage in a fight on the street. There
is no question about the right of outsiders to
separate them, and if it is plain that both have
on a fighting drunk, there is no question about
the right of the police to put them in the cooler
until they recover their normal condition.
And if this is repeated too often, the author
ity goes further and the place where they get
the fire-water is closed.
The reports are that Russia does not desire
to consider any peace proposals until the arm of
Germany shall be broken. But all the time "by
the Danube and the Dnieper the Cossack hero
sleeps; by the Volga and the Don the Cossack
mother weeps," and this mighty drain of human
life must stop sometime.
Great Britain is reported in much the same
mood as Russia, but there are a million of Rachels
in England, Scotland and Ireland, in Canada and
Australia who are "weeping for their children be
cause they are not," and that must bo stopped
sometime.
Then the talk of wiping out a great nation is
buncombe. The integrity of Germany is not yet
broken, we do not think it is as yet jeopardized.
She has failed in her western offensive, but
her guns are atill thundering almost in hearing of
Paris, and she seems to bo winning on the east
ern front, while the defense she can put up
...... jjfft .
between the west front and Berlin must have a - H
discouraging look to the allies.
If a convention of neutrals could incorporate H
a code forbidding offensive and defensive alliancos M
between nations, but placing all nations in alii
ance to punish any nation that went to war with- H
out approval of a world tribunal after hearing of M
a grievance, even the nations now at war might M
accept that proposition in favor of a universal M
and lasting peace. M
With that adopted there would be no objection M
to Russian ships passing to and fro through the M
Hellespont; there would be an open field for
trade to all nations; there would be no further ll
anxiety on the part of any nation to add to her Sl
navy, for what would it avail? IH
On this line a neutral convention could work 11
to place international affairs on a new basis, be- iH
hind which would be a well-founded hope of per- MH
manent peace to the world. iH
Imagine such a code in practical working. The 11
United States could lay the facts relating to Mex-
lean affairs before this tribunal. That tribunal j
could cite the authorities of Mexico to appear and M
show cause why all the nations should not declare H
their country a menace to the world's peace and M
an unmitigated nuisance to the Mexican people Jl
themselves and give them notice that they must lH
arrange matters on a sensible basis within a pre-
scribed time, or be held as an outcast among the 91
nations of the earth, to be boycotted in trade and 11
to be held as an enemy by all the peoples of the 91
earth. il
There is no set of men, no matter how in-
tent they may be upon running revolutions that ?H
could face that 'situation. fil
It is time for a new deal and to make clear 11
the fact that at last the whole people of the world H
are to have their say in the management of the H
world's affairs. H
Our Generals' Advise H
GENERALS WOOD and Scott want a great H
-J- army and navy for the United States. Prom H
a military view that is altogether natural and H
wise, and trying to peer into the future through
the light that the past sheds upon the world, con- fl
gross should respond to the demand.
It will not do to lull ourselves into the belief Hl
that war between our country and Great Britain 111
is unthinkable. Great Britain has made her rl
money in trade and by the conquest of the unoc- . M
cupied lands of the earth and of India, she has '.H
been in alliance with Japan since the Japanese 'H
Russian war. Nothing is plainer than that Russia H
and Japan have begun the absorption of eastern rl
Asia. They already control Manchuria and Mon- i'H
golia, and since the great present war began 1H
Japan has wrung from China concessions which H
virtually make her a subject nation to Japan. We iH
should be blind to imagine that, if China is to be AH
partitioned, Great Britain will not insist upon her ?fl
Dortion of it. Japan affects warm friendship for H
the United States, but whenever any of her public I V
men give exnreasion of that friendship they cou- fl
pie with it le hope that the United States will j fl
soon extent iu Japan the perfect equality which rH
we give 'to the European, nations when they land jyH
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