The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-02

CHICAGO, April Side by side in the
Chicago Tribune tomorrow will appear the
letter from Mrs. Ellen M. Henrotin, of this
city. who on behalf of the women's clubs
of the United States, writes to President
Mckinley urging him to take the way that
leads to peace and a statement from Mrs.
Shillington mother of Harry Shillington,
who went down with the Maine. Following
Mrs Henrotin's letter is a statement by her
in which she upholds the stand she took
in her letter and repeating that the General
Federation of Women's Clubs will give to
President Mckinley 'our moral support in
all that he does, or in ali that he leaves
undone, for humanitys sake" Mrs. Shil-
lington was shown Mrs. Henrotin's letter
and asked if she thought it spoke for all
the mothers of America. Mrs. Shillington
could not read any further than the line:
ION us war will fall the heaviest, for we
I've already given one of mine'' she said,
my Harry But with one boy buried in
the mud of Havana harbor and another on
board a United States cruiser that may be
the first to be sunk in case of war, L have
no appeals to make to the President for
peace. am mother, and l have suffered
as perhaps not many of the mothers who
have joined in Mrs. Henrotins appeal have
suffered, but do not shrink at the mention
of war; We must think of our own, and
heaven knows no one could have thought
more of her boy than | 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 and women and children allowed 10
die like cattle. l have to think of those
things. OF course | know the money in
terests of the country are entitled TO Il full
share of consideration, but l believe, too,
in honor. l believe 1t and taught it to my
children and L think they learned the les
sen, for the officers of the Maine have writ
ten to me that my Harry never swerved
from the strict line of his duty. He never
shrank from what was right, and neither
will L, and l can give my other boy to my
country, if need be, as | did my oldest son.
Charlie sailed on the government cruiser
Alliance to-day His last letter to me said
that now he had but one thought, and that
was revenge You see, he is only a boy of
| seventeen, and the death of his brother
filled him with hate for those who caused it,
/ do not feel OF course, the same about it
that he does. l do not feel any spirit of
Il only want to see the honor of the coun-
| try vindicated so that my boy, who is a
| sailor on board q United States ship, can
| walk the streets of a foreign city and feel
| that the blue uniform that he wears is re-
| spected, and that if he dies his government
will demand atonement, and that he is some
| thing more than the iron guns or the plat
| ing on the side of the vessel that can be
left buried in the muddy bottom of har-
| Dor and forgotten.
| women who have joined in Mrs. Henrotin' S
| petition. They want to be spared the loss
| of their loved ones, and L pray God thar
| they may be. But if He should let them
suffer as have suffered, If it is for the sake
| of the dead and dying in Cuba, II 1t is for
the sake of our country and her flag and
| for the sake of the boys who were killed
say to myself a hundred and a thousand
times day, it had to be, 1t had 10 pc.
| There was no other way.