The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-01
FREEDOM IS KEYNOTE
Blow at DespotIsm and Tyranny OF
Some Sort Has Been Struck
In Every Fight Of the
United States.

plained. THESE pampuleIS WoAo oSS
to every school in Toledo, and an
effort Is being made to get tnese
pamphlets into the hands OF every
school child In the country. Here is
the cause as explained by the TOLEDO
clubs historians:
When in 1776 our forefathers de-
clared their independence they also
laid down the principles on which all
governments should be founded. IN
the Declaration of Independence they
made the solemn announcement tnaI
all men are born free and equal
that they receive from their creator
certain rights which no one may
take away; that among these rights
are life, liberty, and the pursuit OF
happiness; that governments exist
for the purpose of guarding these
rights and that all just governments
derive their power from the consent
Of the people.
Because the king Of Great Britain
had violated these principles our
forefathers made war against MIN.
| Under the leadership OF George
Washington, and with the generous
help of the French nation, they lin
ally drove the soldiers OF King George
from our shores.
| Soon after the revolutionary war
the British government violated the
rights of the United States. It trleu
to prevent American ships sailing to
the ports Of Europe, sought to die.
tate what cargoes our ships should
carry, and even seized our sailors.
This led to the war Of 1s12-a war
which was fought to bring about the
| freedom of the seas.
In 1861 our great civil war broke
out. There were at that time -FOUR
million slaves in the United States.
slavery was a violation of the prin-
ciple that all men are created equal.
Abraham Lincoln declared that this
nation could not endure half slave
and half free. The civil war result
Led in freeing the slaves and IN CIV
! ing to them the rights which the
/ Declaration of Independence said be
! longed to all men.
Our next great war was the waT
with Spain For many years tho
Spanish government had oppressed
the people OF Cuba. 1t imprisoned
thousands of the Cubans and sub
jected them to great cruelties. on
April 18TH 1898, congress declared
Cuba free and independent, and our
| navy and army were sent to end
Spanish misrule. After the treaty OF
peace Cuba was made free and in
dependent nation.
Today we are at war with another
despotic government. The German
government, through its submarines,
has murdered our people, peaceful
men, women and even children, on
1.-THE high seas, and has sought 20
dictate to us where our ships may
60, when they may go, and what
'cargoes they may carry. 40 ,nls -.
science no American who knows the
history OF the war Of 1912 will sub
nit 1t has driven thousands of the
unhappy people OF Belgium ana
France from their homes and has
German empire; we can no more toll
crate this wrong than we could per-
nit slavery in our own land. 1t is
seeking to impose cruel and unjust
rule upon peaceful nations against
their will; we who drove the Spanish
government from Cuba cannot In
honor allow this tyranny.
The spirit Of the patriots who
fought at Lexington, at Bunker Hill
and at Yorktown is with US In this
new war for freedom. We are fight
ing again the conflicts of 1912, the
great struggle Of Gettysburg, the bat
ties of Santiago and Manila Bay.
We are fighting for the principles
upon which our government was
founded. Our cause Is the cause for
which all the patriots and heroes of
our history gave their lives. We will
follow President Wilson as Loyalty
as our forefathers followed Washing
ton until the freedom of the seas has
been established for all time, tyranny
and despotism crushed forever, and
the liberties of all peoples made &c.
cure.