TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1916-04-10
His Excellency Thos. X. Marshall
Vice Pres. U. s. A., Washing

Vice Pres. U. 5. A., washing
ton, d. 9.
Dear Sir:-
Being deeply troubled about the
present situation In our country and
desiring to appeal TO someone who
has the three elements within him
that give one confidence, namely, q
heart and a conscience, as well as q
mind, | turn to you. And | do this
with all the more assurance because
you. as the former governor OF our
state. know the class Of people TO
whose present feelings | wish to give
voice better than many other OF.
Hcials; and also because Of your
broad and conservative way OF look
ing at great questions.
OF course | do not know what
views you take Of the present issue
in which President Wilson is
especially involved, you having
shown the good sense not to pro-
claim these to the world. But, what
ever they may be, | am sure that
your soul is large enough to look
al the situation from all sides before
you decide what action ought 70 be
taken under the circumstances.
Now here | am, q Methodist
preacher who, though he does not
remember. ever having seen Ger
many. has preached the word OF God
to the German speaking people Of
various states for over forly years,
and has at the SAM time endeayored
to impress upon them the obligations
of American citizenship.
With this class Of German Amer
leans land there are millions OF
themJ / feel myself n in being
distressed by the drift that things
have taken in Washington, and IN
thinking that the present Administers
ton Is pursuing a course that 10
fraught with the greatest danger.
We are of that class Of German
Americans who emphasize the Amer
lean In our name. We expect TO be
buried In American soil and are
doing our part to make this country
a good place for our children and
our childrens' children to live IN.
We believe in America, and want
to see it great and prosperous. Nor
can we have any desire TO emoagrass
our government in the present crisis.
Ana vet the situation becomes &C
tually distressing to US because Of
a few facts Of such stubborn eharac-
ter that we can not possibly change
them.
The first fact is that we look upon
the enormous traffic in American
maaitions with mexpressible pain
and horror, and feel ourselves out
ragged BY the argument OF our Al
ministration that this Is permitted IN
order to uphold our neutrality. when
We are convinced that. taking the
matter as a whole, the reai motive
Is the Almighty Dollar. You viii be
able To appreciate this feeling all the
better when sou consider that many
thousands of US have rear relatives
in the FatherIand who 7 being
slaughtered or manned by this Amer
lean made ammunition. The grief
this caused us, those Of US who DE.
ileye in God. try 10 bear Will
Christian patience and fortitude; hut
ask yourself how We must feel
toward a government which We are
Supporttng by our Toll and prayers
and which shows us no sympathy In
our trouble, but cynically tells rs
that it nlugt protect American
industries and commerce. What snail
we think Of a soealled democratic
government that pursues such a
nard-hearted course toward millions
Of its loyal citizens? Shall we
think that the interests of the money
changers and the manufacturers Of
instruments Of murder are OF greater
importance to our government than
the souls Of millions Of honest people
who are toiling for their families and
their country in the shops and on
the farTls7
/ should think that ia this one
fact there would be enough affiiction
for us. But 0 there comes, IN
addition to this, the other fact that
the Administration is pursuing
course which IL persisted In will
inevitably lead US into war with Ger
many, and this upon an issue which
we can never recognize as a sufficient
reason I91 IL eAIh . Ell
venture as a war at this time would
necessarily be.
No matter how well our Presidenl
may succeed in procuring the lorna
support OF a majority in Congress IN
the course he Is pursuing, he cannot
stop tile exercise Of free Thought
he cannot hush the voices Of protest
that will arise from n end Of tht
land to the other, not only from