Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-10

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priptsl ~ ~ Jsl1kx1e GLADLY.
Grinnell Iowa NV. 10. 1877 G,ditor
Of the Capitals: a. the close OF =
beautiful but sad Thanksgiving day.
my attention. WAS called TO your editor
ial In which you question my patriot
ism.
You are perfectly correct in saying
that did not mention all the causes
which led US into this unfortunate but
necessary war. In fact I did not men,
ton any OF. the causes, for I was not
speaking about the war. but how the
Christian man, (and / was speaking
before church club, should cultivate
his life at time like this. mentioned
the following; some of them trite
enough. Faith In God. when it Is diffi-
cult to have faith; prayer when it is
hard to pray; and feeling Of com
passion for the people OF other nation
alities who are our neiEhbors. and to
whom this war 10 a double Gethsemane.
/ did not speak Of my relatives: but. as
1t happens. one Of them. my own broth
er. tho a native OF Austria. has been so
loyal to the United States that I re-
ceived letter from the secretary OF
the American legation to Vienna, which
contains the following words:
Your brothers services have been
invaluable to us. and I know that IL
he were living in America he would be
as loyal a citizen as l know you are.
Moreover. I have a letter forwarded
to me thru the legation received only
few weeks ago. in which my brother
notifies me that ne Is living in Switzer-
land, and from there Is aiding as far
as he can, the cause Of the United
States What his services are I do not
know but am proud OF the fact that
he Is pro-American and evidently
exiled, and that is due to his visit with
me about four years ago, when 1t was
my privilege to initiate him into Amer
lean life. "
AS to my address at Marengo. what
tho papers In Marengo quote is correct
only they do not quote 1t all. At your
request some weeks ago. I supplied the
missing sentence. which gives the mat
ter quite different aspect; but you
were evidently either not generous
enough to write that in to your accus-
ing editorial. or you did not believe me.
For the benefit Of your readers will
supply the missing link. This Is what I
said:
You can not build your civilization
upon an unrestrained militarism,
neither can you build it on an lInre-
strained commercialism. Neither Pots
dam. nor the Bank OF England. nor
Wall street are safe foundations. There
is only one foundation, and that has
been laid III the tragedy of Calvary.
II this Is seditious or, q half-hearted
patriotism. It must stand, and I viii
take the consequences.
Il Sc your especial task to arouse
the nation to the danger without and
you are doing It with fervour. If not
always with wisdom, 1t Is mine to
point out the danger within. * we signt
this war upon a lower level than that
announced by President Wilson in his
memorable and epoch making speech.
I am not trying to shield myself, nor
my relatives in Europe. am. AZ far as
I can, sharing in the sacrifices made.
and II my country calls for my last
penny and my last drop OF blood It
can have 1t. One thing will not do
and can not do I will not by word or
deed increase the hate which IS in the
world. can not so amend my patriot
ism that 1t will nullify my Christian
i.y. Ny soul is still my own and my
Gods: but money and my body my
country can claim it any time.
Very sincerely yours.
Edward A. Steiner.
We ask the readers to analyxe the
following sentence which appears IN
the above letter, on which the doctor
rests his case:
You can1no build your civilization
upon unrestrained militarism.' (This
10 the charge aaE1nst Germany.
neither can you build It upon unre-
strained commercialism" (Which Is the
charge made in Germany against the
United Staes.) He pits one OF these
crimes against the other. Then he says
Neither Potsdam (the headquarters OF
the kaiser, the same kaiser who y
never criticized for rapes and murders
in Belgium), nor the Bank OF Enslana
nor Wall street, are safe foundations.
Thus he attempts to Offset the
crimes OF Prussia by the so-caAed
commercialism. Of the Bank OF Eng
land, and the commercial transactions
OF Wall street. Then he says: There
is only one safe foundation and that
has been laid in the tragedy OF Cal
vary" These last words make the In
dictment stronger aaginst the doctor.
He groups all offenses OF the nation
on an equality and emphasizes that oy
A reference to the crucihxion.