The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-11-08

and of course likewise to those patrio-
tic citizens who furnished the real
stuff in the shape Of their subscrip-
tions. Throughout the county, in
every community, men, and women
too, were found who were willing and
glad to render patriotic services at
the expense of their personal comforts
and personal interests. The soldier
boys from Bon Homme County, who
are now serving the country or pre-
pairing for such service in the traip-
ing camps, will surely take an addi-
tional spirit and courage when they
find out how loyalty the people at
home are baking them.
A few words about the slackers.
Although these specimens of ingra-
titude and disloyalty are not numerous
still some were found who would not
buy Liberty Bond, although well
able to buy. These can be divided in
w two classes: First, those who did
not buy because Of stinginess when
buying bond would have necessitat-
ed borrowing the money temporary,
although such persons were found to
be substantial property owners, or did
not buy because they could get high
er rate of interest on their money by
loaning it to someone e!sc than Uncle
Sam, or did not buy because of relig-
ious scruples; Second, those who did
not buy Liberty Bonds because Of pro-
German sentiment.
Those in the first class, while by no
means excusable, are not of the dang
erous or traitorous kind The trouble
with them is that they have a poor
conception of the duties of citizenship
in the serious crisis which now con-
fronts the country, and there is hope
that they will come to better real
ization Of their duties as the war pro-
crosses. But those of the second
class are the dangerous ones for whom
we should look out. They are citizens
of this country only in name and they
should not be classed as citizens, but
as aliens. By their acts in discourage
ing and denouncing the war and block
ing its prosecution, they are rendering
just as much service to Germany as if
they were fighting in the German
trenches. We do not know just why
the Government wanted the blue cards
on which these "citizens" were report
ed, but we presume the Government
wants to know who they are so as to
put the proper label on them and
keep its eye on them. 1t occurs to us
that those blue cards should entitle
such parties to passport to Germany
SO they could go over there and re-
ceive the iron cross from the Kaiser
for services rendered to Germany.
We cannot pass unmentioned the
fact that in one of the banks within
the county we failed to find single
Liberty Bond poster on display. We
do not want to question the banks mo-
tive, as they did sell bonds, and we
rather believe that the posters were
not displayed for fear of mourning
the displeasure and losing the business
of their pro-German customers. But
right here we want to say that it is
time for every one to show his colors,
and whoever is the right kind of a
citizen cannot, at the expense of his
patriotism, wheedle ito class of GUS
toners who are against the country
and expect to escape uncensured. 1t
would really be credit to lose the
patronage of such customers who
would be thus offended, as the time is
coming when they will be ostracized
from the society OF good citizens.
IA REEo A MAEAIEP