The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-09-13

The United States is at war against
Germany for two Fundamental rea-
sons. For one thing the present war
from the beginning has been esentlal-
ly conflict between democracy and
autocracy, and a nation, conceived
in liberty" as America was, cannot
look uncaring upon the triumph OF
autocracy anywhere in the world, IN
the second place, we are fighting Tor
the maintenance of human. rights on
the high seas. The sea is the pub
lie road of all nations. No country
has a right to make it unsafe TOR
people to travel the high seas OF
water, just as no man has right to
make it unsafe for other men to
travel our highways of earth.
One of my good friends said, Il
am not in favor of fighting Germany
until she comes within the three
mile limit of our Atlantic Coast. y
Such a policy would mean the sur
render of fundamental American
rights and even human rights. Sup
pose two neighbors should get mad
with each other, and one should say
to you and your neighbors, IF any
one of you travels the public road
passing by my house you do so at
your peril. My enemy travels along
that road sometimes, and will dyna-
mite without warning every wagon,
automobile, or buggy I see coming
on that road, regardless of whether
I kill you, your innocent wives, your
sons and daughters, Or babies suck
ling at the mothers breast"
If such a threat were made, it is
easy enough to imagine what you
and your neighbors would do. If
YOU lived in an organized, civilized
community, you would have the man
seized as a criminal, restrained from
his purpose, and punished for any
execution of his threat. On the 9TH
er hand, if you lived in an uncivillzed
frontier community, such. as the
tsWild West was fifty years ago, you
and the rest of the people would
Join together to fight that barbarian
until he respected the common rights
of, humanity. And then in recognl-
ton of a supreme need, you might set
up constables, courts, sheriffs, and
jails to prevent any such defiance OF
human rights in future.
1t is. just such threat against
human rights that Germany has not
only made but has carried into exc
cution. When she brutally sank the
gallant ship ,Lusitania and sent to the
bottom of the sea scores and scores
Of non-combatant men and women,
including mothers with little ones as
those who prattle at your own fire
side tonight-when Germany did this
and a hundred other similar acts pre-
yiously outlawed by the conscience
of mankind, she dyed her Macbeth
. hands with murderer's blood, which
not all her science and skill and
boasted "culture" can ever wipe out.
Now, if the nations of the earth
were properly organized, there would
be- some supreme authority that
would restrain and punish this muir
derer-nation, just as courts and sher-
ifs now punish Observation-Disclosures.
But since we lack such League OF
nations to enforce peace it is the in
escapable duty of America to join IN
the voluntary effort of other peoples
to 20 up against Germany until she
renounces her murderous threats and
promises to abide by the standards
which Christendom has established.
And then there is one other thing
which all good Americans hope Will
follow the final victory. Just as the
outraged citizens in the frontier
community, after fighting the out
law, might set up orderly government
to punish all individual offenders in
future, so we hope that the nations
now allied against Prussian brutality
will not rest until they have estab-
lished a League of Nations" where
by all the peoples of the earth will
unite their military and naval
strength for the punishment of any
individual nation which again breaks
or threatens the worlds peace. Ex-
President Taft is head of nation
wide organization now working tor
the organization of such League OF
Nations, and President Wilson has
eloquently pledged all the powers OIL
his great office to the accomplish
ment of the same end. Moreover, in