The Republican journal., 1917-11-01


Prof johnson graduated from Brown
University in 1909, spent two years at
Harvard Divinity school and taught at
Roberts College, Constantinople, Turkey,
and was given leave by Colby to under
take this work in the worlds great war
crisis. All who heard him were conscious
of the quiet dignity of the man and his
freedom from eXaggeration. Mr. Frost
ably presided at the afternoon and even
ing sessions in the Opera House, whose
use was donated with the exception
of actual expense Mr.. Wescott spoke
at the evening session, briefly stating
what this loan meant and why this ma
tional day was appointed. At the close
of his remarks his hearers realized the
country's Indebtedness to him for his
most efficient labors
Mr. Smith Said in Part:
I'VE are living we are dwelling
In a grand and awful time
In an age of ages telling
To be living is sublime.
Then let all the soul within you
For the truths sake go abroad:
Strike, let every nerve and sinew,
Tell for Justice. tell for God. -
And if those words of Arthur Cleveland
Coke were true in 1894, how much more
tragically true and inSistently applicable
are they in these critical and momentous
years of our nations life. ''These are
the times that try mems souls" cried
Thomas Paine in the opening sentence of
that epoch making pamphlet of the pre-
revolutionary days - The American
Crisis and the sentence is just as true
to-day when we stand confronting per-
haps the greatest era in the worlds his
tory, and when the challenges are thrown
every morning at the feet of loyal and
patriotic Americans to do all that in
them lies to fortify our government and
make democracy safe for the world,
and the world safe for democracy" The
call is clear and inspiring to 'let every
nerve and sinew tell for Justice, tell for
God" We are asked to help as never
before with men and measures and money
against ruthless military domination, a
reign of Prussian terror and t, rrany an
PARALLEL in the annals of history
Macauley SAID, there are only two
kinds OF government, the government by
public opinion, and government by the
sword. And it is against government by
the mailed fist, the autocracy of the
sword, that our government, with it's
valiant Allies, is lighting this desperate
battle against Germany
You are asked to back up that splendid
army of young soldiery now in training,
with many already across the seas, with
your dollars, with your food conServa-
ton, with your Red Cross donations and
labor. The clarion call is unto you to
buy Liberty Bonds to your last dollar
that you can spare. What is a Liberty
Bond? It's mutual insurance, insurance
of your own interests, for it is the sound
est, safest investment on the bond-mar-
ket to-day: it is insurance of your own
government and the high and noble cause
in which it is engaged. 1t is simple in
vestment, paying higher rate of inter
est than a savings bank, an investment
that makes your dollars work in a right
eous and glorious cause, this is one way in
which you can ''strike and let every
nerve and sinew tell for Justice, tell for
Cod
You can help in this way to make "the
world safe for democracy to make gov
government by tyranny, by subjugation,
by the autocratic sword. In this way
youcan help to make a living fact that
word of Victor Hugo, that there is
something mlghtier than the mightiest
armies, and that is an idea when its time
has come" And truly, friends of Belfast,
the hour has struck for democracy, and
that idea and ideal must prevail now, or
60 down into the dust of defeat and the
oblivion of failure. What is democracy?
1t is something more than the slogan and
shlboleth of political party, it is the
broadcast and noblest principle Of human
and divine government that the world
has ever seen: and to-day it stands fight
ing for its very life against the most eff
flclent military machine ever launched
upon an unsuspecting world. What is
democracy? Never was it better stated
than by our great Commoner; Americas
truest Democrat, Abraham Lincoln, when
he said in his Gettysburg address, s'that
government of the people, by the people
and for the people shall not perish from
the earthp' What is democracy? Let me
illustrate what it is by an incident which
occurred in the last years of the life of
that eminent publicist and economic
agitator, Henry George, when he was run
ming as candidate for mayor Of New York
city. He was to speak before great
crowd of working men at Cooper Insti-
tute on the very eve of the election. The
chairman of the meeting had closed his
introduction of Mr. George, by saying,
che is the friend of the working-man."
When Mr.. George arose to speak there
was great applause, but his first words,
spoken very quietly were, 81 am not the
friend of the working man," and there
was an almost threatening silence over
that vast assemblage, but the speaker
continued, Il am not the friend of the
capitalist" and he paused again, as if
gathering strength of soul for the utter
ance of this mighty truth of militant
democracy, 81 am the friend of man as
man whether he be rich or poor, without
regard to class, caste, creed or condi-
tion," and that great audiefce of men
broke forth into tumultous and prolonged
| applause at this statement of the very