Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-06-21

When millions OF young men, the
faWeE on Az1efican manhood,
went I'd the booths and registered for
military service and conscripti0n,
they gave. the most stirring evidence
of patriotism this nation has ever
Witnessed Thousands Of those boys
are from the farms OF South Dakota.
They have said to their country,
Heis am 4; send me Take my body.
my Saind, my life an have to give.
mes, ambitions, comforts, fam.
lily fiSsS all dearest to me here lay
DOWN. a voluntary offering TO my
coAntrg, for the caAse Of human free
dom and for democracy" We who
are the fathers, mothers, brothers,
sisters, sWeethearts, wives OF these
boys have consented to this sacrifice,
have even tacitly consented that it
shall be imposed upon us without
5Hrst consulting us and getting our
consent We have done tfEs believ-
ing that Dur country needed the boys,
that freedom and democracy need
them. And thus consenting, we, too,
have proven our own patriotism I'm
comp lainingly we have given the
dearest things we have
How many of the big trusts who
control all that we farmers have to
sell and all we have to buy, how
many of them have made a Similar
sacrifice of their properties. and how
much: and for how long7 5ss
When the war is over we shall have
to take back from our country what
lis left Of our boys. There will be not
much left OF many of them hing
but shattered bodies am shattered
, minds a lifelong burden. Some OF
them will not be returned to us at
Tall. All 9eft of them win be lying ID
unknown graves. We shall have only
our sacred and tender memories OF
them and what they were We shall
have no choice about this either but
will take what is left to us and try
to make the best of it.
How about the big trusts and thsir
sacred and dear properties? Aye,
there's the rubi' Property is strong
ly entrenched in privilege and in p0si
ltics. Congress- and the government
| are ssiH fiYnid about exacting saETi
| fees from them far more tiinid thar
they have been in exactirg from us
| the sacrifice of our best beloved
We of the National Npnpartisan
League demand and urge, as the bet
ter policy Of government. that the
same sacrifice Of property. as has
been required of human lives, be ex
acted in this struggle for sliberty and
democracy; That as the lives of oul
| young men are conscripted for the
service Of humanity, so shall be con
Acripted for the same service the
/, properties of those who have alnasse6
and are still amassing enormous pro
| fits out Of the war traffic; and that
at the close of the war, as what il
left of our conscripted boys is re
turned to us, SO shall be returned tt
its owners what is left Of the wealth
thus conscripted.
We believe that this is better and
juster policy than is being pursued
and that it will more quickly end the
war and end it successfully. In call
| ing this reasonable, Mr.. Void be
trays a sensitiveness readily to be
expected of one who SO naively iden
tines this nation with the big fnancia
and Industrial interests of our coun
try that he speaks Of them as though
they were identical and synonymous
The position Of the National Nonpar
tisan League may be reasonable t
| the trusts, but, as yet, it is only srcE
persons as Mr.. Void who, apparently
consider that to be the same as trea
son to the United States of America
III u. Duncan,
State Secretary, South Dakota Branch
National Nonpartisan League.
lSioux Falls, s., d.