Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-08
WHAT OUR NE|CHBORS SAY
Vermont Called Upon to Repudiate the
Resolutions for Peace by the
Stnte Grange.
(From the New Hampshire Patriot

| From the New Hampshire Patriot)
At this time when Vermont Is holding
series of meetings to arouse the spirit
| OF her people and instruct them In the
needs of the hour, it is well to call the
| attention of that State to a matter which
has escaped the general notice OF new
England though reported at the time IN
all the New York papers. At the trial OF
certain men for alleged guilty completely
with Won Rinteien. the German agent
proven to have handed over half million
dollars to someone. the following facts
were brought out: The masters OF the
Grange Of the States east Of the Missis-
sippi river were summoned to CONFER
| ence by national officials OF the order.
They were introduced to the men above
referred to who in conjunction with some
Of the officials endeavored to induce them
to pass some resolutions against pre-
| paredness, the sort Of resolutions being
| passed here and there at that time and
which have brought their authors under
popular suspicion and would have put
| them under the sod in Germany. Led by
the masters of New Hampshire. Rhode
Island, Massachusetts and New York,
| these resolutions and progressively milder
ones which were submitted In succession
were rejected and the matter came to
| naught. At the trial It was charged that
Won Rintelen financed this conference, but
one of the accused swore that his own
generosity paid for 1t all. The State
Grange Of but one New England State
passed paciflst resolutions. That State
| is Vermont The resolutions, copious and
generalizing, are on record. They should
| be read by committee appointed at the
Rutland conference. Every pacifst speech
in this country, every pacifist resolution
has meant the prolongation OF this war,
the death OF more men, the raping OF more
| women and even little girls. the desecra-
ton of more churches in vile ways which
our papers, disregarding false modesty
must tell our amazed and shocked people.
the ruin Of more property. 1t is perhaps
not true that the action Of the Vermont
Grange came to the attention Of the Ger
! man government, though it may we'll
have done SO. But it is certain that 1t did
have a great influence upon Germans in
western States. Here" said the agents
of Germany. rs this State of Vermont
where Germans and Austrians are a Gu
riosity, and its farming population
through the Grange. has taken this ac-
ton. Surely you German born and chill
dren Of Germans can do no less. YER
mont IL the State which sent the largest
percentage Of its population into the
northern army in the Civil War;
~
realized a year ago that we were not to
be trifed with. II she could realize that
with the dawn of each day that the war
continues, fresh thousands of people
swear they will never again purchase an
article made in Germany, carried In
German ship. produced in tropical Amer
lea by German capital, the war would
end very quickly. The American paci-
fists have been-the allies of the Kaiser
and more and more our secret service is
going to convict them of having been his
paid servants. The net tightens.
We are 80 kind a nation that to avoid
hurting the feelings of occasional honest
asses, persons of limited intelligence who
affect passivism. we have allowed i'm
munity to Williams. But the suppression
Of all these mon Is now the alternative to
death, wounds and torture in German
prisons Of our boys. The Vermont reso-
lutions among others, have their respon-
sibility in this. The Grange officials who
called that conference have incurred a
responsibility. to put 1t no stronger.
Whether your home be destroyed by a
fire set by a malignant and Intelligent
scoundrel or an idiot child fooling with
matches. 1t is none the less destroyed.
Every day some new atrocity. some new
phase Of German obsession startles us.
The last and most amazing deliverance
is that Of the German university profess
sors who SO calmly announce that as in
the herd of cattle only the best are al
lowed to bear young, SO when Germany
subdues the other nations only German
men are to be allowed to be parents. I'M
til gradually there shall live upon this
globe none but Germans. We are in the
most desperate war Of our history with
the most ruthless force Of all history and
all who stay our hand must be severely
dealt with. II traitors. they must be
punished. meet the only penalty treason
deserves. II i'll balanced. they must be
confined with the insane and imbecile.
There is no choice The men who have
played with these dangerous things.
whose treason has been indicated by the
statements Of German agents themselves.
have the pitiful choice Of .confessing
themselves traitors or acknowledging
themselves of deficient intellect.