Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-08-22
forced into this titanic conflict in
self-0efansa and for the nresarvat tion


Of democracy against a cruel autoc-
racy. For the United States as we'll
as for the other democratic nations,
it Is question Of life and death. If
Germany wins there Is no place for
an English-speaking democracy on
the face Of the earth. We have been
slow to grasp this idea, and to realize
the full scope Of the issue; but it
looms before us now in all Of it's hid
eous portent, and there are before us
two possible features: Independence
and Freedom, with the allies victori-
Gus; or the position of vassal state,
subservient and obedient to a world
emperor at Berlin. AS the represen-
tative Of the oldest and strongest de-
mocracy in the world, Woodrow Will
son stands to-day as the recognized
champion Of world democracy, while
William III stands as the most power
full representative of relentless au-
ernment are Numerically opposed,
and there is no possible reconcilia-
tion. The world, as the final result
Of this titanic struggle, must be
made safe place in which to live
safe for all states and peoples, great
and small-or must become subserv-
lent to the will of one man, who plays
with men as with pawns on a chess
board.
Such being the nature Of the con-
flict, and such being the war made
upon our country by an insulting foe,
should we wait until our sleeping
cities are awakened by the terrible
music of bursting bombs? Till our
green fields are trampled by the hoofs
of the invader and made red with the
blood of QUO brethren? No! A thou
sand times no! We must send forth
our fleets and armieS--we must un-
loose upon the broad ocean our keen
falcons, and the thunder of our guns
must arouse stern echoes along the
hostile front. This is but national
defense and authorized by the same
great principle Of self-protection,
which applies no less to nations than
to individuals.
The thing l wish to impress and
drive home to every one worthy Of
the proud title of A lerican, is, that
we are in this fight; we are in it to
win; we cannot win without fight
ing; and we cannot successfully fight
with divided counsels. We cannot
stop for referendums or to wait on
jury verdicts or moot court trials.
The die has been cast, and there are
no more open questions. The con-
stitutionality of the draft act for SER
vice OF the government has been de-
termined for the past half century or
more. The absolute fairness of Sc
lective draft and individual liability
to military service is self-evident. 1t
is nothing short Of public calamity
that there are found those in our
midst, and some in the public service,
who are advising resistance to law
to a law passed in the time Of great
national necessity, in the time of ac-
tual war-and who, by unfriendly
criticism or for pride Of individual
opinion, or through political motives,
encourage the growth Of distrust.
dissension and disloyalty in the
minds and hearts of those who look
to them for the light of truth.
1t is, indeed, unfortunate that some
persons fail to realize at once that
war is an abnormal condition Of So
| ciety, and that wherever 1t obtains
and whatever be the form Of the gov
ernment, the status Of the citizen, or
subject, is more or less modified to
meet its demands. The citizen is
| transmitted into the soldier, and the
soldier is neccasrily subjected to arbi-
trary rules, such as the citizen knew
not before. The freeman's consola-
ton is that every sacrifice, whether
of personal use, or freedom of action,
Of property, Of health or Of life Is an
offering on the altar Of liberty.
Hence, 1t is the ever present duty
of the strong toward the weak, of the
informed toward the uninformed, pa
tiently, kindly, but none the less
firmly, to speak words Of warming;
yea, even OF stern rebuke to those
who seek to resist, to obstruct, to
hinder, or to SOW seeds of distrust
| and dissension; because the under
mining Of confidence in the govern
ment, during war, Is to afford aid