The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-24
McAdoo's Liberty Day Speech.


arn q. tcAo,o. rfsf*lAfs - -
~, ss.ose hsrr today AZ IN L1b~Tfy Day
ss.-rrzBos Mr.. NeAdeo --is. F-il0-
sn-srzns Afisr trzre-slnr - s,Aiss IN
@.-ry ss-iOn % this c0grtrg. nj ofiis
IN The frss Ln,erry Bad cArnfs.rn- e.'
IA thts campaign. I fs-i oornp<feni 70
.sy ,iunf n thsrs are the,-r Sho b<Dsss
fnz; Arnsssc1 l. 10; a~Hks. That tn@
s.1rsf q o@rnocraey and q SA;rso'i-in =
~. r-<nzst m this lad ihey are se-y
h.f1y rnis.zksn. TIE Ar,erscsn ps-oSas
kno~ rtzf th.y are In a graf ~ar 20
.-sfpr-ss-rsztI0r fVr fce pfO;s-c;syr a.
th.ir vital rights. ~ Esl ~ fOr ~ VI
1.rasson q the cer.rcrAtsc pfirep-e
ihrOughOu, the WDfid
I, A. vtry true that - fiEh; To-
.ltruis.Se purr,os-s kge firhf for or
or S~.ls II h tr-e also. that 80 fiEhi
for 10 ,eiflsh end We rs-k no ierT1to-f
hat telOnEs % another nsfiyn- We
-ssik no, 20 conquer any Oihsr rs-os,-s--
srd make tl,e<1 subjects q thls great
r-pub,h. Bat Ehii. ~ an nghiins
for tbese iceaLs. and u = vel % Fssstz-e
,heru a. oftea a. possibis. Arnersca fiEhts
for something more pr0N--rizte than rlat.
she fights f0r certain essential nights -
her people. rights that Involve their vsTy
iifs ana ;he integrity q fhe-r ir-s;itgt-
jons rights Which hare he--n clsrsEzrcs1
- the s-reetest HliiarF ceslsot - al
tines
Hef0rs thls var broke oui in Eur,l-r
Il had been reoOEutzei eF@Eg7Ehere
fhrO0ghOu; the ciTlizat word that 10
merchant ship should b. sunk - an
enemy war ysesei. unless the liTes q the
passengers. the Unzrrnei and csf~nslezs
rDen. wOrnen and children. had FIR; been
ss-ursd- 80 irnexibis l. that rule thst
IL has neTsr beea disrsEzrosd by any
civilized rzfi0a- un;l ihs German Kaiser
esszye1 70 ytOlzte r.
Why Is the rule - innUtzbser Why
IS IL that an infrzc;5on Of !; shocks hun
anl,y, can illustrate ii better by bring
ing Il home 70 yOg in this way. Suppose
and am going 70 suppose a re-y IN
possible czss5 that Z German army had
successfully invaded the rnitsd States
and had captured an American city.
Suppose that the population zzs stand
inz Bpon the streets. boxing with hOr-
r0r and anxiety upon the invading hoe:
and wondering what tbes- fate WAS %
he-oid rler. young men. women. chil-
drer. hzbse--au unzrTned and making ~
sffor1 70 resist SupIose the cOrnnan-
GER 0f tina; regiment had ordered i 70
halt and % fire i-,O tbose unzrTnsd
people. Many would have been killed
r. -
D4ea able 70 szve their lives. Why
Becznse they were or land Some Of the
wounded undoubtedly would have re
coTers-5. their lives would have been
-avsc- becanre they could have beer
taken TO hospitals and nurzed hack tr
lEe again
But az horrible zs that would b.. azC
as shocking Al offence sgzinS, humanity
and civilization a. that would be. car
you conpare If with sinking ship a
ss4 with unarrns1 and osfsnssless men
women ana children upon it, Thzi
crime rsaies iSto insignincanoe as cum
pared with the horror Of such a sinking
a. sez-
Can yur picture 10 yourself the ierroi
u such a scsns-a great liner MOVING
dong swiftly across the waters. witt
10 evidence Of danger ahead with z
happy COMPANY Of people when all oi
4 sudden an explosion from al unseer
source. the ship shivers from stem y
stern. and begins 70 settle in the Hate-
The bOrrifIed people rush TO the deck
and attempt % get off IN the iife-boats
but there IL no escape Suddenly III.
great bulk disappears beneath the waves
and men, women and children are
thrown into the water. There is M
land upon which they can escape
There il no means Of saving their lives
A few moments Of agonizins shrieks
then silence. Every ysstige Of life oblit
Grated without a trace" That II what
has been done by the military despo;
repeatedly since this war broke out in
defiance not only OF treaty obligations
with this government but in contrayen.
ton Of every Law Of humanity and every
mandate and dictate nf international
Law.
hAi,er's Broken Promises.
II Is undoubtedly true that within
the past three years this nation was
frequently on the verge OF war, because
of those infractions Of the Kaiser.
those aggressiOns upon our rights. But
each time our great peace-loying Presi-
dent. with an earnest desire TO maintain
peace and 70 strictly observe the obligat-
ions Of neutrality. which we had a.
ways obs. ryed upon our part. first Dc
manded that these aggressions upon
our rights be stopped. and each time
the Kaiser promised that he would not
reIeat this Offense. Just as frequently
as ne made the promises ne disregarded
them What else could be expected Of a
nation that would tear up treaty with
Belgium and denounce il as mere
scrap Of paper
But the climax came when. on Jan
d. last we received notice from the
Kaiser that on and after that date no
American ship and no American citizen
should be permitted 20 enter zone Of
the high seas about five hundred miles
IN width surrounding the great nations
II Britain. Belgium. France and Italy.
lie undertook To say 10 America that
she should not sail her ships upon the
high seas. One other nation told u
hat In eighteen hundred and twelve
What was the answer? Weak as we
Tere at that time and powerful as the
lation WAS which then challenged our
lights we went 10 war and vindicated
AMERICAS right To the freedom Of the