The Washington herald., 1914-11-25
WOMEN AND THE WAR.
Renounce False Patriotism.
Nv GRACE V. LOGAN

To the women of the world: Mothers.
wives, and daughters OF men! Rise in
a mighty wrath and demand as with one
voice, Where is the boasted Christianity
Of the world? What is the true patriot
ism OF the nations? Christianity. with
its worldwide teachings OF brotherhood.
of love, Of the following Of the Christ
life. which allows the brothers Of men
to be swept from life into eternity by
the horrors Of so-caIled Civilized war
fare as the grass falls before the shar-
pened scythe of the mower.
Christian nationsl Civilized warfare,
The words are a travesty. for what do
they show? Only that man has devoted
his utermost strength, ingenuity. sub
tlety, and millions to the manufacture
Of greater and more powerful instru-
ments OF death than his brother OF other
nations.
Women! Turn from a Christianity that
can pray God, let my army be success
ful. Let my men be Of greater strength
so that they may be able to destroy
more of their fellow men of other ma
tions. 50 that my kingdom may be re-
tanned. What matters it that their
brothers bodies I'LL the rivers, the
trenches are heaped high on the funeral
pyre of the battlehelds. that their blood
flows as the waters, darkening the green
grass, the flowers of the fields: that the
wounded are stripped Of their clothing
and left on the field food for the vul-
lures while yet alive: that our soldiers
destroy their cities OF ancient beauty;
that the fatherless and widows are made
by the millions, that they may never be
comforted. What matters il. dear God.
so long as we win? What matters II that
the flower of our manhood Is no more?
Only hearken to US, and respond to our
pleadinRs for victory over our brothers,
but not to hear them"
Women Of the world Rise, in your
power OF widowhood and turn from a
Christianity that can preach such doc
trines. Count it not to the glory of
God. who is the essence Of a divine love.
that such teachings are His. The gentle
and holy Jesus said, Thou shalt do no
murder" and Love thy brother as thy
self"
Refuse. Oh. Woman. the husks of a
religion that leaves the heart empty, the
soul in doubt, refuse to give thy
Widows mite while thy children go
hungry and naked and the temples are
FURNISHED and set with precious stones.
And, Oh, Woman! Resent with all thy
strength, the insult heaped upon you by
the grim-visaged warriors, who, looking
afar. behold the men Of their nation in
millions dead upon the battlefield and
realizing that generation must be
lost for the flower of it's manhood Is no
more, call upon the women of the ma
tomas their duty to state and
church to allow themselves to be made
wives and mothers ere their men go forth
to answer the call of a mistaken patriot
ism. Laws Of centuries binding the mar
riage relation were waived by priest and
state that this might be accomplished
and stands as a blot, a hideols mockery
on the divine rights Of woman to the
joys and the holiness OF motherhood. A
bartering Of the rights Of mans and
woman's love, the fruition of which is
their child, and called into being for any
other cause than love is a sin against
the divine law Of life.
And in the event that from these un-
holy marriages motherhood results, who
Is to care for the widow and the babe
at her breast? Does the church and
state provide sufficient means by the
pittance it promised? oh, Waman! Re
fuse! Refuse! What though the insis-
tent urge OF nature go unfulflled? What
though thy arms are empty and thy
hearts ache unstilled and thy children
may never know thee, thy ideals and thy
dreams are unsullied and thy mate is
thine because of love. Resent. Oh,
Woman, this insult to thy womanhood.
Refuse with one voice such desecration
that church and state may be satisfied.
Does church or state consider the
widow and the orphan, the utter wreck
OF life, the excruciating suffering Of the
wounded lying on the battlefield, the ef-
feet on the other nations when for a
word, the misunderstanding OF q few
men or a trifiing cause, they plunge na-
itons into the awful carnage Of civilized
warfare?'
No. a thousand times no: 50 rise. Oh,
woman. in thy righteous indignation and
demand thy rights. Rights to thy men
for thyself, thy children unsullIed. thy
homes unharmsd. Demand that the