The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-04-19
1T is ABSOLUTELY TRUE

A statement was recently made by
certain parties, for the purpose of Gre
ating prejudice, THAT in case of wal
the farmers of the country would have
to bear the brunt."
Glory be, the statement is absolute
ly true and that is the reason that the
United States of America will be in
vincible in the struggle.
We glory in the virile virtue, the lof-
~ patriotism and undaunted cour-
age of the men who till the
soil. We were a farm boy, reared in
tne country and our character forna-
ion is Of the earth.
Whatever qualities of righteousness
virtue, honesty, patriotism that still
remain within us, and we like to think
we have a glimmering of those desir-
able qualities remaining, is due to our
farm parentage; farm training and
early farm environment.
We never learned to play "stud
poker" to drink soul-destroying booze,
chew "Spear-Head," or smoke rotten
tbacco while hoeing corn or digging
potatoes. All the cussedness, chican-
Gerry, corruption, deceit, irreverence
that can be charged against US and
even our friends admit we possess
some and our un-friends insist we are
saturated with, we acquired after we
left the farm. -
The farm is the great reservoir of
American physicality, morality, relig-
.on and patriotism,
Americas greatest statesmen, war
riors writers, divines, the leaders OF
public thought and the defenders of
public safety came from the farm. 1t
Vas the farmers at Lexington and Col-
cord that sent the relocated represent
tatives of tyranny Keeling back to tie
cover Of their entertainments; made
Burgoyne's regulars appear like pikers
at Saratoga and forced CORVALLIS to
lay his sword at the feet of Washing
tOn..
1t was the farmers of the west and
southwest, short on style but long on
shoot, who at New Orleans, overthrow
Napoleon's conquerors and ended the
war of 1912, in blaze of glory instead
of a fatuous fizzle.
The army that followed Taylor and
Scott across Mexico's burning sands,
and, although outnumbered at every
encounter, defeated the foe in every
battle and placed the stars and Stripes
above the ancient capitol Of the Mon
teZumas.
Ine Civil war languished for two
years; the tide of battle swayed to
and fro; the Republic rocked and reel
ed like man drunken and the fate of
the nation hung trembling in the bal
| ances OF fate and no man could tei
which way the scales would turn. Not
until the farm rustics cast aside thell
lethargy and rose in their might anc
wrath was the hideous Slave Goo
trampled into shapeless mass Of
nothingness meath the iron-shod hoff!
of countless cavalry horses; the mon
ster Treason buried in a pit dug b!
myriads of bayonets and the pernic
ious doctrine of States Rights, which
had lowered like a Spector of Deatl
| over every council Of state since frs
the government was founded, burnet
out in cannon flames so that it WI
trouble the American people no NOR
forever.
Whenever crisis has confronte,
the Nation, either in war or peace
the farmers, who produce the majo
portion Of the peoples wealth, hav
sprung to the defense of right
justice and equality and saved the ma
ton from the crisis.
A farm home is as valuable for de
| tense as a battle ship; a countr
school as a fortress and farm boy
i, make the best soldiers in the world.
1t is needless to worry about tn
loyalty of the farmers. They dom
burn bridges, blow up elevators, de
| stroy public utilities or commit dep
relations against the natural rights o
/ humanity.
If duty calls and it becomes neces
. sary to sustain American honor, Pre-
} tect the natural, inalinable rights O
men on land and sea, throttle tyrann
! and secure universal justice for a
: men in every land; there will be sue
a spontaneous uprising of the Amer
! can farmers as the world has neve