The Big Sandy news., 1917-12-07
RED CROSS ADDRESS At
PIKE COUNTY Chapter.
tsy Chairman J. Ru...l cra~tordl
Says President Wilson. "The su-
pr.ms test of the nation has come.
We must speak act and serve to-

When the great vessel at sea is with
In the danger zone, the man on IN
bridge never sleeps, ever on the aler
expectant, watcEfull His attitude, hi
very expression II eagerly watched. hi
words are commands and eagerly obey
ed. Not one or the vessel would b
Indifferent when the man from til
Ibrldge cries Danger Ahead" There i
lone. who by the voice OF one hundre,
millions OF people has been placed o.
the BRIDGE OF THE SHIP Oh
| STATE. We have carefully watches
his attitude thi ough months OF peril
we have listened TO his voice when |
rang clear and hopeful We took cour
age as the old ship of Stato plunged
| further forward in its course OF Des
tiny. Then. the direction was sudden
ly changed. trying delays, and VIC knew
the waters were growing dangerous
and when at last the patient, weather
beaten rilot cried oit, THE Suprem,
Test OF the old Ship as come W.
must now speak, act and serve iogetf
err" 1t was nigh time for the one hund
red millions OF passengers, with q car.
go OF priceless national wealth, to TAX
notice.
Il would scarcely be profitable t.
take my time or yours TO tell why we
are at war with Germany, You don't
usually hold the investigation as TO tn
cause OF the FIRE until after the house
burns; you don't hold the post piortem
unit after the man dies; you don't ask
the man who is drowning how he hap
pened TO fall irto the water. We are
in the war, the bloodiest, the moRt dis
astrous. the most far-reaching in IL.
aims and purposes that the world eyer
knew--it has no parallel in all human
history. Suffice 4 to say that. 50 far
as the United States is concerned. II Is
just war, a war of righteousness.
Tt ere can be no time now for read
iust'nent o; conditions. even r con-
scioI that We were altogether in tho
wrong. There stands our enemy, i'm
placable, INSCRIPTIONS. remorseless-
We are being backed against our own
hearth stones, while our flag has gone
to he front, 1t flies to-day over the
firing line. We are now between the
Devil OF Prussian hostilities aud tn.
deep blue s.a OF Oblivion for cur boast
ed Democracy To stop now to debate
the issues involved, is TO BE LOST
The question now turns on your pat
your Americanism. II you say
My wages before my Country" or ny
balance sheet before my Country" or
My Greed or political party before my
Country" you are not an American.
AMERICA is IN PERIL The wisest
and Lest mon OF the nation declare this
to he the outstanding fact OF the hour
No other question is worthy Of consid
Grafton until ii II settled whether de
mocracy is TO live or perish from the
face OF the earth Democracy hangs
by thread. Its existence depends on
I'VE speak. act ard serve to.
gether'' or not Is it possible that IA
tai indecision is still gnawing at your
vitals, plaguine you with the question.
rs ~ ever right to fight2" Just sup
pose with me. that / am standing by.
every inch pacifist. as claim TO BIZ,
and there cores along a brute bully
who begins an unprovoked deadly at
tack on the helpless and defenselesS
OF tie street, makes his in
famous assault on womanhood. desc
crates and wrecks everything that 1
have held iioly and sacred through the
years. not to strike to the death, IL
need be. even at the hazard OF my own
life, such an infuriated assassin OF hu-
would he to give the lie to all
that / profess to be as christian and
4 gentleman. What plea could make
hat ] possessed red blood in my veiIs
Or true courage IN nv heart. If only
stood by and lamented, plying the vic
inns OF the incarnate fiend? What
nave we been forced to see and hear
We saw ship after ship sent 10 the bot
ON, ships of mercy, bound from Amer
ca for the Belgian starving; ships car
'yine the Red Cross and laden with
he wounded OF all nations; ships car
wing food and clothing 10 friendly,
harmless. terrorized people. ships fly.
ng The Stars and Stripes. sent to the
bottom. manned by American seamen,
against all law, without
We saw the SUSSEX sunk.
rowded with the SONS and daughters of
he neutral nations And IL your ear is
IS acute as that of loyal American
hould be. you must still hear the
'iteous cries Of the children. coming |
ut II the sea where the Lusitania vert |
own II still skeptical as TO the mur- |
erous designs Of the Prussian beast, |
Ell your eye fall momentarily across |
evestated Belgium-factories. homes |
nd churches converted to smoke and |
shes. "Old men. matrons and priests
illed; bodies of men mutilated in
rays we could only mention in whis-
er; nuns cruc!fed: babe nailed to a
arm door like rat; women and girls /
aped: men burned alive. their gar
lents being soaked in kerosene; He'd
ross hospitals bombed" But why re-
ite such horrors that were never
latched for cruelty, even in the bar
arian age OF fhe world? It is to warn
ou that when the war began, the Kais
r felt toward Belgium the tender SEN
ments of lover, in comparison with
1e present stage of his sentiments to-
ard the United States, the only pow
r on he earth that could back his mad
ened purpose.
II was not always thus with Ger
ANY. 1t would fern an interesting
tudy, had we the time TO note how far
ermany has Travelled from higher ami
obler ideals on it's lightning express
ain, known as "Kultur." II was Old
mperor William. grandfather of the
.aiser. at the begiT,iing OF the Franco
russian wsr, who said to his soldiers
We are not making war on peaceable
tizens OF France, and the first duty of
,e loyal soldier is to protect private
roperty and not suffer tho high repu
Ition Of our army to be stained by the