The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-08-10


many people. Oh, they may choose
better than the many people. They
may choose that their choice results
in a more efficient government, but
we should remember the creed of de-
mocracy, the fundamental creed of
+ democracy, that the government is
for the people and not the people for
the government. (Applause) The
supreme task Of democracy is not to
make an efficient government, but to
make an efficient manhood Gap
plause).
This was the issue that confronted
the American people in the few
months that are gone The people
who choose. the few who choose for
the many in Germany demanded OF US
that we should cease to sail the high
seas.
All, if the question as been SO sir,
pie and unrelated as to be simply
question OF whether for the time
being we might no. surrender the
commercial advantage of sailing the
high seas, we might have considered
it. Nay. but the question was not I'M
related. 1t was deeply rooted in the
very soil of civilization itself We
were asked to do infinitely more than
surrender a commercial advantage
not simply to surrender sailing the
high seas. but to surrender the right
to sail the high seas. (ApplauseD.
And if, Oh. if we had surrendered
that right and Germany had been vic
tortous, we would have handed down
to our children and our childrens
children the indelible shame. not sim
ply of having surrendered our own
freedom. but the liberties of a world
(Applause).
Every generation. after all must
choose its own flag. and every genera
ton must give its own definition to
its national life Is that our flag. and
is its definition of America our Amer
lea?
When Belgium was raped and the
fertile fields of France were drench-
ed in blood. when Servia was left
desert of dust and ashes. and when
the free waters of the seas were soil
ed with the bloodstains of women and
children, it was inevitable that the
American people should either fight
or change their flag prolonged ap-
plause).
And, Oh. strange. strange spectacle
in this American land of ours, there
were blind ones who could not see
the light OF those stars, and there
were deaf ones who could not hear
the voice of human wrong. and they
cried to us. Wait, wait until America
has first been outraged, and then leap
to the defense of our flag and our
country" Oh, We of little faith, could
you not understand that the very day
that Prussian legion crossed the Bel
gian border that America was invad.
ed (Applause). That was autocra-
cy's first blow at democracy.
II had but one flag, Mr.. President.
| would not present it to you Rather.
than see it even upon the dome OF the
capitol at Washington. [ would place
it in the hands of gallant Pershing.
keeping nightly company with the I'm
ion Jack and the Lilies of France.
(Applause).
The place to defend America today
is on the soil Of Belgium and of
France. And to those timid ones who
would bid us pause. and those mar.
rowed ones OF limited sympathy who
would return once more to our an.
Gent naturalization. l think | hear
today the voice of our great American
poet and prophet, James Russell Low.
ell saying. as perchance he looked
at that flag:
BE thou no anchor. ah. my faith. to
lie on oceans oozy floor. dim
fathOms deep.
Away from wind and wave. and
cen remote from days great
eyes.
Thy task to cling and clutch. and
keep this little bark of mine in
front and self-same sweep,
OF oceans shore. O'erhead the self
same sky;
Nay, rather. when the winds are free
Be thou the needle loyal to thy
north,
Bidding my bark remotest isles ex-
plOre
Better go down amid the waves
wild roar.
| Than rot in land-locked DAYS.
| And go not forth at bidding of the
wild, beseeching waves"
The navy department has prepar-
Cd s.