Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-07-18

must get tnree' anu ~ on' Due neie
is the other picture. Ten farmers
live along lake. Nine of them
live in group close to each other.
They are landgrabbers. believing
that might makes right. They think
they are justified in despoiling each
other II they can and are prepared
to the minute for offensive and de-
fensive purposes. The other farm
err lives some miles away. He has
the advantage of isolation. He can
take care of his interests If he has
the foresight to do it and he would
not have to have nearly the equip
ment the others have. However,
he proposes to trust to luck and in
woke the golden rule and the pre-
cepts of Christianity. as Armenia
has done for 500 years. What do
| you suppose the nine pirates and
lbrigands at other points of the lake
care for his fine sentiment? They
see an opportunity to despoil him be-
cause he is too proud to fight and
too Indifferent to prepare for the
storm that is gathering. There
can be but one result and that re-
suit will put the property of the
peaceful farmer into the hands of
the pirates.
Mr.. Bryan calls all those who are
for preparedness jingoes and init
mates that none Of them are sincere.
He divides them into three groups.
1.-The manufacturers of munitions and
the stockholders in the plants. The
Subsidized press that has remorse-
lessly sold the interests Of the peo-
ple and Of their subscribers to the
munitions owners. and the great
business interests that want q stand
ling army to compel working men to
work whether they want to or not
This is a very narrow view for Mr.,
i pSavyu o. toll N L OH
give the great masses Of the people
who are in favor of preparedness
credit Of sincerity and Of knowing
something about what they want. Il
doesn't matter IL we have expended
barrels Of money in the past upon
preparedness. we are not prepared
Witty. the government cannot ev.
en- equip the few thousand militis
troops now In the various mobiliza
ton camps. From Camp Dodge al
Des Moines comes the report. of nc
shoes that will tit the soldiers. sec.
lond hand uniforms being parceled
out. the cOmmissary department
short Of rations. etc. Bryan said not
Hong ago that million men In this
country would spring to arms over
might. That was merely one OF his
fine periods. fired at random to tickle
1.-THE ear OF the people. But what II
they did spring to arms. where
would the arms be? Where would
the other equipment be? 1t is high
time. the Freeman-Tribune opines
to look this question fairly and
squarely in the face. Elocution will
no longer serve for deeds. The
twisting OF the eagles tail feathers
and pounding ones self upon the
breast in pride. swelling up and de-
claring that we can lick the world IL
not the way to preserve peace and
the integrity Of this country. We
have got mans job to do and must
do 1t II we are to take our place and
hold it among the red-blooded peo-
pies of the earth. The easy life is
not the best nor the safest. Eternal
vigilance is the price Of liberty and
liberty will not tarry long in the
hands Of indifference and selfish op-
|ulence.
1 Mr.. Bryan sought to make fun OF
those who claim that peace can be
conserved by preparedness. by arm
ling ourselves and going out to find
some body to KILL" as he put 1t. No,
lit is not that, and Mr.. Bryan knows
lit. We are preparing ourselves to
prevent nations OF covetous DISPOSE
|tion and warlike spirit from taking
Iany of our territory and menacing