The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-06-08

row. moved DH ueitHcA iaSO
hone of conquest nor lust for worid
power. in language that Will i've Ill
history. he unfolded, the story OF our
cause for quarrel.
Mr.. Thomas D. Sanford. son u
a former governor of Alabama ana
nephew of Mrs. S. G. Sanders OF TINS
city. in a public address delivered at
a patriotic demonstration at Selma
referred to that address and summed
up our grievance against Germany
perhaps in language more convincing
than we could employ.
Listen to what he says:
Il commend TO you and to the peo-
ple of this country and of the world
the masterful address of the presl-
dent to congress. 1t is the Alpha ana
the Omega of the argument concern
inc the issues involved. 1t can nelth-
err be added to nor taken from. Every
man. woman and child in America
should be publicly proclaimed from
every rostrum and pulpit IN the re-
public. No wonder the debates in
congress were tame after its deliv-
cry. 1t is a solemn and weighty doc
ument, and generations unborn, in
this and other lands. will read 1t TO
their children and to their children's
children, as they teach them with
pride of Americas contribution to hui
man freedom and worldwide democ-
racy.
so far as | am concerned, | have
felt for months that we have had
abundant cause for war with Ger
many ever since the Lusitania went
down with its hundreds of helpless
men. women and children. A most
cruel and murderOus slaughter |
can almost hear the screams of moth
ers and the cries Of sucking infants
as they face their awful doom.
Since that time, one act after an
other, in shocking disregard of every
friendly profession and of the high
est rights and principles that we hold
dear as nation. Germany has COM
mitted knowingly and wilfully.
Hardly could we recover from the
humiliating shock of one such Incl
dent before another of like kind was
committed not only destruction of
property, but ruthless and cruel dis
regard of the lives of our people.
Finally as if to add humiliating in
suit to irreparable injury, the i'm
perial German government, in effect,
serves notice on this nation: Keep
your people at home: dare not to sail
your ships on the high seas: longest
your harbors with your vessels; par
alyZe every artery of your commerce:
stop your wheels of industry; let your
wheat and your corn decay in your
granaries and your cotton rot in your
warehouses; close your mines and
let your people fold their hands in
idleness. until the imperial German
government sees fit to again permit
your citizens to sail the seas with
safety. All of this is what the kali
ser's edict means.
But the depths of pertidy were not
reached in this dictatorial decree.
While yet protesting friendship for
our nation, which had harbOred and
sheltered and fed and prospered hun
Idreds and thousands of her poor peo-
pie, the imperial German government
employed thousands of spies and
spent millions of dollars in efforts to
undermine our institutions and pre-.
pare for attacks, insidious and other
wise.
And, finally. the discovery of
which revealing the infamous pur-
pose of every outward act which had
hitherto been committed, her emissar-
les and officials in high position,
while enjoying the courtesies and
honors and protection of this republic
and this people, were secretly plot
ting not only to incite rebellion in
our own midst but to induce Mexico
and Japan to join in war against our
country.
All this our people, an honorable.
peaceable, high-minded, frank and
candid people, can scarcely under.
stand. and some of them are slow to
believe. But | have not debut in
my mind, that if we had continued to
submit to the further humiliation and
dictation by Germany and her impe.
rial ruler, and had not recognized the
state OF war which already existed, if
the German armies should be victo-
rious over the allies, that the very
next move of the Prussian autocracv