The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-07
LOYALTY LEAGUE
ISSUES A CALL FOR
A STATE MEETING

The Wisconsin. Loyalty legion or
Wednesday issued it's call for the
| convention of the league, which is tc
be held in Madison in the near future
Papers indorsing the call for the
massmeeting were signed in Water
town on Thursday and today by men
in all walks of life.
Besides being an insistent demand
for a special election for the selection
of a United States senator, the call
asks that at the conference plans be
promulgated for the submission of a
program for legislation at the special
session which will permit of the do
ing away with party lines in the SEN
atorial election and the union of all
persons in all parties, who believe in
the principles of the legion who shall
support the war policies of the coun-
try. In full the call reads as follows
10 All Patriotic Citizens of Wisconsin.
The charge has been made through
out the United States that Wisconsin
is disloyal state
This charge rests chiefly for justifi-
cation upon the attitude of a number
OF the states most conspicuous and
best known public men.
1t is time to take serious notice of
this most damaging charge, and of the
reasons for it's wide and continual
repetition.
The United States faced a moment
Gus crisis in the Civil war, but the is
sue was one that chiefly concerned
these states, and had little vital inter
est to Europe or Asia, except as re-
publican government is always the
object of secret fear and hatred among
crowned heads.
To the United States the question
was nOt-"Shall free government be
overthrOwn?" but rather-"ShalI one
republic be divided upon the question
of slavery and two weakened repub-
lies take its placer
The issue which this country now
faces reaches to the tap roots of all
free government, throughout the civ
ilized world
Should Germany conquer Europe in
the present conflict, she would be in
vincible in Europe, commanding the
resources of nearly 500,OOO,O0o of peo-
pie. Against such victorious European
enemy freedom must then make it's
last stand upon American soil. Free
government will already be dead on
every other continent of the earth 1t
must conquer here, or die.
Wise men realize that the world is
now witnessing the death grapple of
two antagonistic systems of govern
ment. The question is: shall free
government exist? or must it give way
to ruthless autocracy?" 1t is plain
that one of these systems must perish
Believing the freemen of Wiscon-
sin to be true to the transcendent
cause of universal liberty, and that
Wisconsin owes it to herself to make
this fact plain to all the world, we
whose names are signed below, call
upon all our patriotic fellow citizens
to unite and act. Putting aside all 9TH
er duties and banishing all minor diff
ferences of opinion, let us speak for
Wisconsin with certainty and with pa
triotic fervor
Let us, first of all, returning to the
simple ways taught by the fathers of
the republic, assemble at the state
capital and take counsel one with
another, to the end that the good
name of our beloved commonwealth
shall be rescued from the sacriliguos
blight OF treason or near treason. Our
families, our homes, our very lives.
demand such cooperation. The sa-
cred honor of Wisconsin calls for the
militant protection of her worthy
sons
We ask all citizens who have the
blood of freemen and the courage of
a freeman's faith, to appear and
speak for Wisconsin,
Let us hold such a monster meet
ing, to be assembled as this call shall
have been signed by a sufficient num-
Der of determined men to make plain
that there is neither politics, nor race,
nor religious prejudice, nor any per-
sonal favorite for office, behind this
undertaking, but that it is a serious
movement, inspired only by love of
Wisconsin, of the United States OF
America, and devotion to the broad
principles of free government here
and everywhere.
We venture to suggest that such a
meeting consider and propose a pro-
gram to the governor and legislature,
for such amendments to our election
laws as shall render possible the pa
triotic cooperation of all men who
support the government of the United
States, regardless of political distinc-
tons. This should be done to the end
that it shall be possible, while the
country is at war, to back up the
government and to compel an issue on
that ground and that alone.
Being of firm faith in the over
whelming strength Of the loyal people
of Wisconsin, we urge them to send In
! their approval of this call, at once, by