The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-04-02
the SPARTAN MOTHER
NOT MORE HEROIC THAN THE
A1rERrcAN woMAle
MRS. HENRonN's PEACE PLEA
Not Signed BY the Mother Of Henry
shillington, Who Went Down.
n the Maine


AS8oc9et9o FgoSs opoclA WIZ
y CHICAGO, April 1.-Side BY side Z
= In the Chicago Tribune tomorrow =
y will appear the letter from Mrs. Z
= Ellen Henrotin Of this city, who. on =
y behalf Of the women's clubs Of the =
N United States, wrote to President =
n Mckinley urging him to take the =
= way that leads to peace, anu q
= statement from Mrs. Shillington. =
y mother Of Harry Shillington, who
n went down with the Maine.
= Mrs. Shillington was shown MRS.
n Henrotin's letter and was asked =
y II she thought It spoke for all the =
y mothers Of America. Mrs. Shilling
~ ton could not read any further than =
y the line: ION US war Will fall the Z
n heaviest, for we must give our
y sons"
II have already given one Of Z
mine," she says, my Harry. But 4
with one boy buried In the mud Of Ha-
vana harbor and another on board q
United States cruiser that may be the
nrst to be sunk in case Of war. I have
no appeal to make to the president for
peace. I am q mother and have SUI
fered as perhaps not many Of the moth
ers who have Joined In Mrs. Henrotin's
appeal have suffered, but do not shrink
ct the mention Of war. We must think
Of our own, and heaven knows no one
could have thought more Of her boy
than I did Of the one who died on the
Maine. but there are mothers in Cuba
who must be thought of-mothers who
have seen their little ones starve to death
by their sides. Their homes have been
destroyed, and families sundered, and
men, women and children allowed to die
like cattle. have to think Of these
things. OF course, know the money
interests Of the country are entitled to
. full share Of consideration, but be-
lieve. too. in honor. believe in 1t. and
taught 1t to my children. and think
they learned the lesson. for the officers
Of the Maine have written to me that my
Harry never swerved from the strict line
Of his duty. He never shrank from what
was right. and neither will I. and can
give my other boy to my country. II need
be. as I did my oldest son.
Charlie sailed on the government
cruiser Alliance today. His last letter
to me said that now he had but one
thought, and that was revenge. He IL
only a boy Of II. and the death Of his
brother filled him with hatred for those
who caused It. do not feel, Of course.
the same about It as he does. do not
feel any spirit of revenge.
II only want to see the honor Of the
country vindicated so that my boy. who
IL sailor on board United States ship,
can walk the streets OF foreign city
and feel that the blue uniform that he
wears IL respected and that II he dies
his government will demand atonement:
and that he Is something more than the
iron guns or the plating On the side Of
the vessel, that can be left buried in the
muddy bottom Of harbor and forgot
ten.
II have no criticisms to make on the
women who have Joined in Mrs. Henro-
tins petition. They want to be spared
the loss Of their loved ones, and I pray
God that they may be. But He should
let them suffer as have suffered, II
1t Is for the sake OF the dead and dying
in Cuba; il It is for the sake Of our coun-
try and our flag, and for the sake Of the
boys who we're killed on the Maine. I
can only say to them, as say to myself
= hundred and thousand times q day:
1t had to belt had to be. There was
NO other way"