The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-04-19
n Brave EnnerIcan Mother.


Side by side in the Chicago
Tribune appeared the letter from
Mrs. Ellen Henrotin, who, on be-
half of the women's clubs of the
United States, wrote to President
Mckinley, urging him to take
the way that leads to peace, and
statement from Mrs. Shilling
ton, mother of Harry Shilling
ton, who went down with the
Maine.
Mrs. .Shillington was shown
Mrs. Henrotin's letter, and ask
ed if she thought it spoke for all
of the mothers of America. Mrs.
Shillington could not read any
further than the line: "On us
war will fall the heaviest, for we
must give our sons"
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 United States cruiser
that may be the first to be sunk
in case of war, have no appeals
to make to the President for
peace. | am a mother, and
have suffered as perhaps not
many of the mothers who have
joined in Mrs. Henrotin's 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 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 destroy
ed, and families sundered, and
men and women and children al
lowed to die like cattle. [ have
to think of these things. Of
course, | know the money inter
ests of the country are entitled
to full share of consideration.
but | believe, too, in honor. 1
believe it, and / taught it to my
children, and think they learn
ed the lesson, for the officers of
the navy have written 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, if need be, as did my
Oldest son.
Charlie sailed on the govern
ment cruiser Alliance today. His
last letter to me said that now
he had but one thought, and that
was revenge. You see, he is
only o 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. I
only want to see the honor of
the country indicated, so that
my boy, who is sailor on board a
United States ship, can walk the
streets of foreign city and feel
that the blue uniform he wears
is respected, and that if he dies,
his government will demand
atonement, and that he is some
thing 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 forgotten.
81 have no criticism to make
on the women who have Joined
in Mrs. Henrotin's petition.
They want to be spared the loss
of their loved ones, and | pray
God that they may be. But he
should let them suffer as / have
done, if il is for the sake of the
dead and dying in Cuba; if it is
for the sake of our country. and
her flag, and for the sake of the
boys who were killed on the
Maine. | can only say to them,
as | say to myself a hundred and
q thousand times a day ut had
to be; it had to be. There was
no other way"