The Washington times., 1917-05-25
Don Marquis
Column
The PnclfIsts Come To OrdeI

reach the outside world at all-no
telling how untoward a thing might
in that case befall!
Yet \tre were in that secret group.
disguised as German spies ana
heard the thing from end to end; the
declamating cries which Miss Lucin-
da Kitchinsink poured forth In re-
male violence, the soft and cyobyilaht
poetry which, dwindllng into silence
slipped greasily from off the lips OF
some lean thing in glasses, the SAD
sepulchral moaning Of a dozen Fsci-
fist asses. We saw and heard the
whole of it, and took our laughter
toll OF it-and IL we set II down YER
batim you too must laugh-and cease
to hate 'em!
Prof. Reggie weathercock, the
great reactionary, who has been fired
in four years from four jobs tuteiary'
addressed the chair in manner square
Ia Theophistic dame sat there) ana
rumbled of q world set free from war
and other misery-and this, among
such things, said he;
COMR-R-RADES-S-S'
Let us hold it as a truth unoe-
niable that, in the face OF threeten-
ing disaster, when all the Worlo s
engaged upon a disgraceful emoroil-
ment such as now assails not 0niy
those kindred countries which ne
across the vast expanse OF the AT
lantic waters, But which even
thr-r-eatens to engulf the very lana,
in which we ourselves have nVeo,
and where our ancestors have llNeo
and died for generation upon genera
tIon IN peaceful pursuit Of those arts
and sciences which have always
worked for the betterment OF man
Kind. specifically and generally, as
befits A people of uplifting trend OF
spiritual aims. OF large ana huHahl,
tartan desires, we stand, ana shah
stand, now and hereafter IN utter
contempt of such conditions as are
responsible for the obscene unneces
,sities OF war, plunder, r-r-rapine anI
r-r-rapine and r-r-revoluuon! NL0~u
applause, "HeOr, Heor")
Next Miss wiIhelmina Seer gave a
recitation Of some free, unfettered
verse. writ to save the nation. Dear
Miss Seer Is imagistic, hence this
oRure pacifstic (said in accents sad
and doleful, through a nose OF color
SOULFUL:
A green haze,
A purple star set in II,
GleaminE like the wings OF summer
hies
That swarm the refuse heap.
An angel
Clad in lavender
With brown spots in her aura,
Spins mystic woofs
From out Of this haze
And sets the purple star therein
To serve as eye
A watchful, never nodding eye
In the face of the goddess Peace!
Storms arise,
Clouds pass in heaped and black
array.
All in darkness.
But oh, sweet keepers of the Peace,
The eye is ever open,
Even though IL is
Betimes completely hid
Behind the clouds.
Open. open,
In purple wakefulness,
Waiting for a chance to
Clean ahead.
Shivers Of joy sublime. ecstatic,
greeted this poem; eyes grew aquatic;
But when the phase had passed away
up rose brave Congressman OBay-
the same one he who failed to vote
when he had heard the famous Note;
he voted neither yea" nor nay
he'll live to vote another day!
But just at present he thinks best
to raise his voice in mild protest:
s.Dear. good friends (CheerSD:
THE American people must face the
trooth. Like you, one and all, l am
no mere theorizer. (Cheers.) My ideals
must bow to the practicul ishoo. tWiId
appIduse) I intend to look the sitooa-
ton straight in the face! (Pdnde-
noHiHnl.)
s.Now, then, what is peace? I ask
YOU. what is peace? II is the blessed
balm that steals down upon us un-
aware. Yes, IT shall steal upon us
before we know II. We SHALL have
peace" Joyous uprodr)
When Congressman O'Bay was done
his speech was longer far outspun-
there rose a grim debate snent the
various things which he had meant.
But no one could exactly say what
was his meaning. anyway. Each
towards the other grew more cool and
called each other Deutschland's tool.
But suddenly in all this deadlock
arose Miss Mizzie Radical, famous for
features fadical:
Brothers,
Peace is born out OF battle!
without struggle there can
Be no triumph.
without battle there can
Be no peace.
What shall we know
or the true essence OF
Peace unless we battle?"
And thereupon. to make her mean
ing plain. she smote her nearest neigh
Dor. She did it with no thought OF
giving pain, nor OF inficting la
Dor
Which brought the meeting to a
proper slate. The Congressman went
home with broken pate. The poetess
dissolved in her own tears. The don
became an aspen leaf of fears. Miss
Mizzie. soon reduced into a faint. Just
proved that radicals seem often what
they ain't.
And as for all the listeners. who had
not said a word. they made the best
of fEhtink with neither quo nor
sword: for some went home with
blackened eye, all with bloody noses
This the war which they decry.-This