The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-09-21
GARDNER SAYS PERSHING
WILL WIN WORLD WAR
Advises Missouri's Drafted Men to Fol-
low Native-Born Leader to
Victory in Battle

address to 400 drafted men and their
friends at Fulton, Mo-, last Friday
In his speech the Governor asked the
men of the National Army to be true
to their State and bring their flag back
unsullied.
The full text of the speech follows:
"Fellow- Citizens 49, The occasion
which has brought US together today
is destined to be an historic and men,
orable one. As Governor of this
great commonwealth, | have come
hither to speak a word to these SOL
der boys-to express to them in be-
half of the entire people Of Missouri
a word of gratitude, to pay them
homage, to express our confidence.
"As loyal citizens you are assum-
ing a grave responsibility. You are,
as well, to enjoy a blessed privilege,
for we realize as never before that
our majestic borders, our mighty
commerce, our boundless wealth,
spring from that hour Of determina-
ton when our forefathers broke the
yoke of bondage and declared that
we should ever be free people. 1t is
to conserve this priceless heritage
for our children that you go forth
this day. Aye, not only to guaran-
tee this blessing to our nation, but to
so readjust the political affairs of the
world as to vouchsafe it to all hu-
man beings so that our misruled
brothers in foreign lands may open
their hearts and lift their eyes to
Gods greatest gift to mankind
elf-government and the privileges
that attend it.
"You are to be a part of the Ma
tional Army. The word national has
a deep significance to Americans.
Moreover, you are to be part of the
legions of freedom. You are sum-
moned to the colors under the terms
of the law, and no more just or equit-
able law has ever been enacted by this
republic. 1t is law based upon and
executed by the principle Of our nation
that all must share its burdens and
responsibilities alike; that the rich
mans son and the poor mans son
must stand shoulder to shoulder. The
law is based upon the four cardinal
principles upon which our government
must stand: Equality of right, reci-
procity of duty, community of inter-
ests, evenness of opportunity.
Nations BenefactOrs.
Your name will ever be enrolled
with those of the nations benefac-
tors. You go forth honored and loved
by your people at home, who will
eagerly await the record you are to
make. We doubt not that it will
equal the glory of Missouri's sons on
other battlefields. Like the famous
torch which burned more brightly the
more it was shaken, we know the
greater your trials the more glorious
your record will be. AS we look in
to your manly faces, VIC feel like ex-
claiming with the ancient prophet,
"Thou has made him little lower
than the angels and crowned him with
honor and glory"
We know that you will not only
keep your bodies clean, but your
hearts and souls as well. And if ever
you find yourself in doubt, follow the
example of the 18-ycar old Missouri
boy, who is now on the battle front.
He wrote to a friend and said, 81 can
do anything when think of my
mother" And when you come back
home, carrying the glorious Stars and
Stripes, we confidently expect you to
be able to say, as did the dying boy
at Gettysburg when his comrades
rushed up to lift his dropping form,
"Here boys, take the flag. She has
never touched the dust"
81 ha icc 10 Cly n
again consider our reasons for enter
ing this war and the results which we
propose to attain. Our enemy claims
to rule by the grace of God; yet
Gods Book says:
"'Thou shalt love the Lord, thy
God, with all thy heart, with all thy
soul and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment and
the second is like unto it. Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as myself. On
these two commandments hang the
law and the prophets
Prussianism Grows.
as the desire of this war lord to
place his iron heel upon Gods peace
loving people throughout the world
in harmony with this command? Is it
not fact that the Prussian military
system has grown to its present pow
er solely by the business of war? Is
the German Empire voluntary con-
federation, or is it a nation held to-
gether by fear and tyranny? Were
not the provinces of North Germany
and South Germany forced by the
Prussian sword, the corporals stick
and the Brandenburg fist to submit?
Sweden, Denmark, France, Poland
and Austria were all forced on the
battlefield to contribute part of their
territory to meet the peace terms of
the Hohenzollerns. And poor little
Belgium is the latest victim. Love
thy neighbor as myself What a
mockery to the war lords this must
be. Not even in the days of barbar-
ism was there such a record. What
was the sin of Belgium? What trea-
ty had she broken?
"Yet, without an hours notice her
borders were invaded, her little army
driven into the sea, her beautiful
cities razed, her banks looted, her
wells poisoned, her women and chill
dren sent into bondage to a foreign
land, her dykes opened and, lately,
her houses of worship, the very hous-
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