The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-22
From Other
Editorial Pages
A SOLDIERS FATHER URGES BUL.
LET'S FOR TRAITORS.


Quigg, lawyer and former congressman
from New York, who speaks with espe.
cial force against sedition and treason
as a father whose only son is on his
way to the trenches in France. He EN-.
phatically deplores any differences of
opinion, any varying points of view on
the basic principles of war and peace,
and declares that the only thing now
to be considered is how TO win the war
with the least possible loss of life. In
linging words he denounces nations cor
ganized into beasts Of prey" and pacl.
fists whose words and acts increase the
sacrifice the nation must make to rem.
der the world safe for democracy"
and in the following letter which the
New York Tribune prints as a leading
editorial he calls upon those too old to
fight in the trenches to support the
president in any step he may take to
suppress sedition at home:
The mouth Of sedition should be
shut by a bullet.
am not boiling with rage. Mr. Editor.
/ am not even excited. The point is
this-my son. my only child. in PROMPT
response to his countrys duly sounded
call, is today headed for the French
| trenches. there to be the target for Ger.
man bullets. Every voice raised here
at home 70 discourage others from going
with him, they to back him and he TO
back them and so to make their mighty
work a success at the least sacrifice to
any, increases the chance already con.
siderable, that he viii never come back
to his mother and me. / think that
that voice ought to be stilled before his
has been.
| But this view so important to me so
important to the fathers and mothers Of
the thousands who marched down Fifth
avenue recently and to the parents of
the hundreds Of thousands that are be.
ing gathered from AN over this land to
places of training and departure. is the
very least Of it. The great thing is
| that until the world rids itself of ma.
| tions organized into beasts Of prey no
mans home is worth building. No mans
business is worth pursuing. No mans
wife or his Graded baby. getting a
breath Of fresh air in the street in front
OF his house, is safe from rape or death
/ have often heard IL remarked that
| this war is unpopular What war ever
was popular" except to the greed. lust
and ambition that caused it? What
war ever was popular 10 people who
want 10 live IN the enjoyment Of peace.
order, and liberty? The word "popu.
lar in connection with a war is desnic.
able. But never before has there been
a war where the principle Of individual
/ llnerty' the right 10 make home. 10 20
about freely, 20 do ones lawful business
without interruption. 10 protect ones
women and children against the bar.
baiity of lust and murder. has been so
definitely presented TO the American
people as it is presented To us today
Lexington and Concord were not so bad
as this. The issue that brought us into
conflict with one another sixty wears
ago was not so had as this.
Not popular" DO you suppose that
five millions oi fathers like myself
would permit our boys 10 be- taken
away from us. hustled into harges. and
then planted straight in the way of bul.
lets and bombs and killing stencbes II
we didn't think .t was their duty 10 20
ana our duty Go urge them to go2 do
YOU suppose tIat we five millions
would permit handful OF men down in
Washington 10 impose upon us billions
OF taxes for MS 10 pay next ve1r If
We didn't think they ought to do il and
that we ought tu pay' lf the war was
unpopular do YOU suppose that we
would leave t1, manifestation of that
fact 10 a rabbIe ON streetcorner in
Butte or ON Broadway?
Up to now nothing has been allowed
20 go very far m this country unless IL
accorded with tine will of the peouIe
ana the reason tlat we are al war with
Germany is BECAUSE we intend to keen
things that way The reason we are
standing these taxes. the reason we
are handing guns 20 our young men.
Is because patience against provocation
uneNampled iu history. after hopes ere.
.ated one day only 10 bee blasted the next
after proofs that we couldn't believe
until proofs thHt We could mo- longer
doubt. We have lt last become convipc.
ed that the eu" for which the Ger.
man armies were sent AGAINST France
and FlandeU- and Russa means nor
their conquest only. hut ours also
means that if That end is successful I'm
Europe IL is an everlasting menace to
national organization and individual
liberty everywhere ON this earth
What IS the use of trying 10 keen
up a home and TO conduct a business
Ia farm. "a profession, To earn "a living
that will content your wife and educate
your children. If YOU have got to spend
half OF what your labor earns and. To-
the interruption Of your business. spepd
years of your life creating military
equipments and performing military
service in order To be ready To beat
some rayenous beast that is watching
Tor the right time 20 spring az youq
The German people must now get the
sense of this. az whatever cost to them
or US, They are responsible. They don't
nave To have the Hohenzollerns and the
German military autocracy unless they
want them, nor unless they mean what
their goddess rulers mean. They are
not Obliged 10 have William and his
scheme any more than we have been
Obliged To have our presidents. from
Washington TO Wilson. No blacksmith
ever shod a horse. no farmer titled a