Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-08-17
REPLY TO A MOTHER.

Mrs Henry Smith of Winamac Ind wrote letter to Pres
dent Wilson complaining of the hardshps her
PEELED to undergo member Of the National Guard duy
in Texas.
The President in his reply has explained her that the
National Guard at the border not for the purpose of drill
but for the purpose Of protecting the country and that
cannot believe that the of the National Guard would wish
be excused from it, would lose heart because of the dis
comforts and Inconvenience of the service
If Mrs Smith wise she would not be writ
ing to the President bewalng the rflng hardshps which
her obliged to submit member of the National Guard
She would be down her knees thanking God that the P
dent exercising every honorable effort bring about peace
full solution of the difficulties with Mexico and that her b
not already out the firing line with the boys of 100000 other
American mothers.
The hardshps which the National Guard subjected
the Texas frontier about equal to the hardhps of an %
nary strenuous vacation in Maine the Minnesota woods but
serious business When Mrs Henry Smith thinks about
the petty Inconvenience to which he subjected let her
think also of the millions of boys in Europe who the
trenches and who dying daily by the thousand the midst
of the most CHASTITY warfare known to human history
Let her think of the boys lying the field with blown
off, or legs blown off, faces blown off, perishng in horrible
agony for the lack of medical assistance which cannot reach
them
Let her think of the millions of boys in Europe who after
this is will be crippled for life with health shaer
ed doomed to exc out wretced existence hopeless nva
Let her think of the millions of mothers who are not
worrying because their boys have eat army raons but VINO
are worried day and night lest they will their boys
again alive.
Let her try to visualize the hourly terrors of which
already been killed or
ed-most of them boys like her boy.
Then let her remember that except for the satesmap
OF woodrow Wilson the body of her might be lying
to-day IN an unmarked grave in Flanders or France.
Mrs Henry Smith, with true maternal soictude natura
nks IS great nuisance that her boy should have to we
IN he neat OF Texas and live off food and sou
out the troubles OF her very small in comparison WIN
what they would be if the United States had undertaken a
intervention in Mexico Her troubles too very sma
IN comparison with what they would be if she watching
the newspapers day for the lists dead and wounded
the fighting.
. There are millions of Mrs Henry Smiths in this counu
Wtn boys who would be subject to military duty if the
states went to war When they disposed to find fault WI
the policies of the President let them devote little praye
consideration to the millions of Mrs Henry Smiths in Eu
whose ooys are now only memories But for President
nese American mothers would be drinking the bitter dreg
that same cup-New York World
women says writer, taking up the vices thai u,
nave discarded II they only stop there never DO w
mng very wicked.-W Washington Post
m western organization has recently adopted the sOs
Inc truth IN politics" Every compaign develops It's 0'
lumor.-Philadephia Tpop;ror