Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-17

for patriotism, then wiring us at
Washington, For Gods sake do not
put any taxes on the things that af-
feet us" We have got to get over
that kind of patriotism. I saw a
lady when / was out in June, talked
to her about Liberty Bonds in that
first issue. She said: Il can't at
ford to buy Liberty Bonds" Then |
saw her few days afterwards with
one of these new furs around her
neck in July. What in the world do
women wear furs in July for anyway ?
She could not afford to buy Liberty
Bonds in order to be stylish.
Why, over across the way they have
got down to a point where il a man
goes into a store and asks for a high
priced cigar, he is looked upon with
disgust; where if women wear high
priced clothes it is considered shame
and scandal. We have got to get
down to that in this country Self
sacrifice! 1 wonder If it can stand the
test l wonder II we can get down
to simple things. Reductions of sal
aries may come. I believe that we
ought to start in the American Con-
gress, and even though man is call
ed demagogue who may propose that
kind of thing, 1 am going to make a
fight to have Congress set affairs in
the country an example and cut Its
own salaries down to mere living
point. Patriotism? Oh, we have got
it, but when we measure it against
our duties, are we going to finch? 1t
isn't only in these Liberty Bonds. Red
Cross work-keep those angels of
Mercy helping our boys. A donation
to the Red Cross-a little donation
may save the life Of some of our Iowa
boys We would not hesitate to do it?
Here is the great Y. M. C. A. work in
the army and the knights of Column
bus work in the army. We have got
to help these. l saw two boys down
at Camp Dodge after their mess, walk
ing into the Y. NJ. C. A. You have
got to give them entertainment, some
peace of mind. They get homesick,
poor fellows The Y NJ. C. A. and the
Knights of Columbus are going to take
home over to the boys across the water
and it has been one of the brightest
things in my heart to see the Y. M.
c. A. and the Knights of Columbus
working hand in hand to help our
soldiers in the fields. That is splen-
did thing.
Patriotism! | get so tired Of hear
ing down east about the lack Of pat
riotism in the middle west, and these
eminent gentlemen come out IN the
middle west to arouse our patriotism.
When patriotism is awake it does not
need any arousing, and patriotism of
Iowa is always awake but | heard Of
one gentleman, great lawyer, III New
York, who came out on mission to
arouse the patriotism of the middle
west; spoke in Des Moines and Kan
sas City and other places, and then
he came back and gave an article to
the New York papers in which he said
the west was really patriotic. He was
surprised, but they were patriotic.
And | saw that self-same lawyer
down before the finance committee Of
the senate pleading with them, for
Gods sake, not to put any more taxes
on the great incomes Of the great mil
ionaires in New York. That was his
notion of patriotism. 1t made me think
of the man who arrived in New York
from the west, and foot-pad came
up to him and said to him, "Give me
your money or I will blow out your
brains," and the man said BLOW out
my brains. A man can live in New
York without brains, but he can't live
without money" Let us show those
people down there that great old
wealthy Iowa, that always stands up
for the best things, is going to do its
part. We have tremendous wealth in
this state. Why, suppose our corn
crop will amount to $500,000.O00 in
| value this year. Wear the old hat
another year; have few less feath-
ers on it; they were not very pretty
anyway, and get down to brass
tacks." We have got to do 1t, my
friends. If we can't raise the money
by bonds, there is only one other way
as I say, by taxation. Now let us be
perfectly frank. This nation is in this
fight. Whether you think the nation
is in it rightfully or wrongfully, there
can't be any backing out now. We
have got to go through the thing and
if this money can't come by these
bonds, that will pay you interest, the
government has got to levy such taxes
as will raise this money, even though
it takes all the property Of this coun-
try. Now, you can help and we might
just as we'll face 1t. Would it not be
better within limited degrees, so it
will not unduly initiate our currency,
to raise a part of this money, at least,
by these bonds? Our patriotism Is on
trial. We have got the same kind Of
patriotism that has always existed
in this country; the same kind as in
the days of 81 when we were about to
lose our Ia,ion and have it divided,
the same kind Of patriotism that was
with Grant at Vicksburg and Shiloh,
that was at the bloody field of Frank
lin, the same kind that stood with
Pop" Thomas at Chickamaugua; that
followed Hooker; the same kind Of
patriotism that was with Hancock in