Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-09-26
!. !. !. i. !. j. !. !. !. !. !. !. !.
!. OPEN LETTER j.
y. TO SOLDIERS PARENTS. !.
!. !. !. !. ]. !. !. !. j. !. !. j. !.

(Dr. Lee Davis Lodge, In Carney
Ledger
My Dear Friends: Will you per-
NIT me to say that | sympathize with
you in this dark hour. The word
sympathize, you remember is derived
from two Greek roots, and means to
suffer with. That is an exact state
ment of the fact: suffer with you.
My own dear boy has volunteered in
the aviation corps Of the regular
army. My heart is wrung by the
same agony that conyulses yours.
terrible perils that he must soon
face has hung over me like black
pail. In the busy hours OF the day
the hideous spectre of death ever
and anon touches me on the shoulder
and says: 81 am comet" But in the
silent watches of the night the same
dread pOrtent rouses me from slum-
ber and terrifles my imagination
with images of horror. At all times
an awful fear gnaws at my heart.
My son! 0, my son, my son!". Like
the scenes of a moving picture film
my memories of his babyhood and
boyhood fit before my mind. Now
see him In his cradle--and now in
his first pair Of trousers-and now
as he bids me goodbye at the train
that is to take him off to college. o,
heartache! o, heart-break! Dear
friends, don't you suppose that
have felt it all? And so | say, II
sympathize with you" And yet,
friend, l would not have it otherwise,
not for moment.
My boy has answered the call of
his country; he has answered the
call OF the South, hc has answered
the call Of his blood. He is doing
what | have taught him to be ready
to do from the time that he first
could talk. God forbid that my boy,
or your boy, should shrink and stink
and shirk when civilization is in
, peril; when the dagger is aimed at
the heart of freedom; when the
honor OF woman is menaced with
ruthless violation, and when all the
arts and enginery and implements Of
hell are let loose upon mankind.
Your boy and mine have gone
forth to fight against foe that aims
at nothing less than the destruction
OF our democracy, the enslavement
OF humanity and the domination of
the world. Our boys, yours and
mine, are fighting for democracy
, against autocracy, for freedom
against despotism, for truth against
falsehood, for honor against treach-
cry, for civilization against savagery,
for right against might, for God
against the devil.
They are going to cross the water
themselves to keep the war from
crossing the water. They are going
| to fight in France to keep South Car
olina from being another Belgium.
They are going to face horror
abroad In order that you and l may
not be forced to face horror at home
So am willing for my boy to go. |
want him to go. Our fathers fought
to win for us this very freedom that
we now enjoy; this very freedom for
which our boys are fighting now. If
French soldiers had not crossed the
ocean to fight in America, our faith
crs would never have won the War
Of the Revolution,
A man who will not fight for free
dom is not worthy to have freedom.
Our boys. yours and mine, are now
going to fight for the very same
great. undying, priceless principle
for which the Confederate soldiers
fought in 1S61-the right of self
government. These boys of ours are
worthy Of their blood, worthy OF the
proud traditions of the South, wor-
thy Of the high ideals of America.
God bless and keep them and send
them in safety back to us. if lit be
His holy will!
Let us not mourn because they go.
Let us rejoice rather that they are
doing a mans part in their country's
! peril. Let no word or look or ges-
! ture OF ours sadden them as they
go. Let us bid them goodbye with
; brave face and love-lit eyes and ten
! der embraces, while we commit them
| to God. their country and freedom.
With affectiOnate sympathy,
Very truly yours,
zee Davis T,odre