Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-05
Memorable In American History,

Omaha, June 4.-To the Editor of
The Bee: Tuesday, June 5, 1917, will
go down as one Of the most memoir
able In our history. 1t is a day Of
mingled pride and joy, of pain and
tears. Pains and tears that the aspir-
ing youth Of our land, just ripening
into life, having hoped to equip them
selves for the more glorious pursuits
Of peace, must set aside their ambi-
tions, their loves, their hopes, and
take upon themselves the arduous,
wretched business of war. Pride and
joy that the great anchor Of human
liberty our fathers fixed secure to bed
rock in the ocean of life, still holds
Pride in a nation that believes in the
majesty of man against the majesty Of
kings; joy in the hope that its ideals
shall spread through the world-not
by means of force, but by its precept
and example. Pride and joy cmobined
that the youth of this land today,
whether they fully realize it or not,
have their radiant faces set toward the
dawn Of brighter day for the world,
when kings, kaisers and cZars shall be
no more, when democracy shall be the
order Of the world and over every land
shall spread the jeweled wings Of
peace,
We are facing a foe that has spent
a half century preparing for this con-
est, while most of the rest of the civ
ilized world has been devoted to the
arts of peace. I insist that this foe
is not Germany, but cruel autocracy
that has undermined the spirit of Ger
many itself
To meet such a foe, America has
hNA ,nl1 1ol -
ures, not before so universally applied.
Conscription Is one of these. 1t has
had harsh sound upon our ears. Be-
lieve me. it has its better side. 1t is
not aat all certain that a nation has a
moral right to leave it's preservation
wholly in the hands of those who are
loyal enough to volunteer. AS no one
who will not work should be allowed
to eat, so no one is entitled to the pro-
lection of free government il he Is
unwilling to defend that government
To maintain that we should leave our
selves to be defended Wy volunteers
alone is to assert that we should sac
rifice thousands where then might do
If it is necessary that we must strike
a blow, let us make that blow as pow-
erful and swift as human capacity can
make it, that the evil business of war
shall be short and as merciful as pos.
sible. We are facing a foe that never
dreamed of depending upon volun-
teers.
l deny that conscription is undem-
ocratic To deny that democracy has a
moral right to defend itself is absurd.
When it meets a foe that has stood
against disarmament and that has cul-
tivated the war spirit above every
other, 1t has a moral right to defend
itself by any means in its power.
So. while today a million homes are
saddened at the necessary sacrifice,
and before another year has passed
thousands of these will be in gloom
because of vacant chairs that never
more may bear their sacred burdens,
let us rejoice in the thought that
never before did the sons of America
enlist in a holer cause. And let us
remember that while these dvoted boys
offer their lives in defense of our
ideals, thos who remain behind have a
no less necessary and sacred task,
which is to preserve intack Americas
high ideals, and not allow traitors in
our halls Of state to corrupt ond gov
ernment at its source. Let US all. men
and women of America, emulate the
example of the fathers who pledged
their lives, their fortunes and their
sacred honor, that this government
Of the people, by the people and for
the people. shall not, perish from the
earth L. J. QUINBY.