The European Blood Tax.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1589, 31 March 1887, Page 2

The European Blood Tax.

Iv the course of his election address, at Liverpool, Mr. Goschen Bet forth in striking and forcible language the cost of maintaining the enormous Continental standing armies of the present day. He said : — " I entreat the people of this country when they pay, and . painfully pay, their burdens that tbere is a blood tax, if I may call it so, imposed on almost; the whole of the races of Europe from which we are fortunately exempt, and from which, please God, we will continue exempt. (Loud cheers.) They tell you now how tbis country is falling ofiP in its prosperity, aad some would have us think that we are on the downward stage of degeneration and decay. But remember at least, you who are here, every man in. this hall, that had you lived on the Continent there is not one of you, whether engaged in commerce or whether working with your arms, who would nob have been taken from jour peaceful avocations, from your labors, for three years, two years, or one year iv order to carry the musket. You would have been taken away from all your labor, and that labor would have been lost to the country. The remuneration for your services when manhood first begius to assert its right of assisting ia the maintenance oi the family would, with these services, have been taken from the family and from yourselves, and under an iron discipline you would have been devoted to military pursuits. I am almost ashamed of having detained (cries of " Go on ") this vast meeting for so long a time, but, with regard to this military service on the Continent, let me say that it reminds me of some dangers to which — I will not say we — Europe is exposed. Think what almost every nation in Europe is at the present time suffering from tbis fearful incubus. How long will it be able to bear the burden of this paralyzing system ? Uow long will it be before, in desperation, some foreign country or its Government eotnes to the conclusion khathy a sapreais effort a stop must be pat to an intolerable state of suspicion ? It would be folly to shut our eves to this danger. (Hear, hear.) It exists on many sides. The desire for peace exists on many sides too. I believe that the desire for peace exists everywhere. If the master of the greatest forces ou the Continent, if Prince Bismarck is laboring for peace, so are we. (Cheers.) In that we go hand in hand with the German Chancellor. Prince Bismarck is endeavoring to avoid causes of quarrel ; so are we. Our sympathies may not be altogether identical. This country has no call to surrender or hide its sympathies. (Cheers.)"