Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-07-11

SuCH Stdtt VI luOIo do VIZ Ao'S ~"
and they would not--still that had
reference to world altogether diff
ferent than the one in which we live;
then the ocean was a mighty barrier
between us and the east; our CONNER
cial relations with Europe were in
finitesimal, and even less with the
rest of the world. Now the ocean is
but a step between us and them, while
our commercial relations are so vast
and growing that the amounts stag
ger the imagination; and these rela-
tons, so vast and costly, so fraught
with good for the peoples of the earth,
so absolutely necessary to our very
life, carry with them certain person.
al and national rights which must be
upheld or the very substance of our
nationality will be destroyed. Wood
row Wilson has done more to make
his name immortal in the assertion
that we are now inevitably related to
the whole world legally, commercial
" and socially, and that the rights
growing out of these necessary rela-
lions should and must be upheld as
expressions of democracy, than by any
other section of his administration.
When he recognized the fact and de-
clared it to the world that we are a
world power with all that implies for
good, he made a statement that places
the Monroe doctrine in the category Of
side issue. With that pronounce
ment | am in hearty accord, and when
it was made | was ready to waive any
antecedent pacific ideas which / held,
if necessary, for the higher ones or
defending the rights essential to our
nations place in the world when that
place meant the right of the individ-
ual to think, to work, to accomplish for
himself-when democracy asserted
it's right to question autocracy's meth
DDS, when those methods came in con-
flict with the right of the democrat to
live and be a man. AS between Will
liam II. of the house of Hohenzollern
and his claim of God-given privilege
for himself and family, and Woodrow
Wilson, of the house of American de-
mocracy, I am heartily and to the last
with my president Legally and ethic-
ally | believe that we are justified in
entering this war, for we are defend
ing our ideals, our rights, our will to
liye:" we are making sure the right
of all people to work out their own
salvation without the previous auth
ority of king, kaiser, car or religious
potentate.
If now we are to arrive at Il salts
factory judgment as to the correctness
of our position in this crucial conflict.
in view of our relation to so many OF
our own fellow-citiZens of German
birth and descent, it will be necessary
to discriminate sharply between the
persons behind the war activities in
the central powers and those who are
simply carrying it on as agents OF the
autocrats. The German subject-for
remember there are no citizens as we
understand the term, in Germany,
Austria or Turkeys not the respon-
sible agent in this war. He fights for
the Fatherland because for decades he
has been educated to the belief that
Germany and Germany's advancement
in politicel power by the force of war
are convertible terms.
War Against OverlOrds.
If the German subject could compre-
bend, as do our German fellow-citi-
zens, that a country and it's govern
ment are not SYNONYMOUS ideas, he
would at once realize that he is sac
rificing himself not for the glory and
prestige of Germany, the mighty
country, but for the glory and ad-
vancement of the Hohenzollern fam
lily; not that they, the people, may
live and enjoy peaceful and fruit
full life, but that the few-Wlliiam II
and his brood of so-called princelings
may live in luxury and lord it over
millions who in real character, no.
bility of life and essential virtue are
superior to TIE family of Hohenzollern
and thar retainers-the junkers. The
educational system of this tribe Of
royal leeches has had for it's object
to indectorate the people with fic-
ticious belief that the Germanic peo-
pie are summed up in the glory and
advancement of one family, and that
family, too, which has done more
than any other German family to de-
bauch German ideals and German
hopes.
We must bear in mind, too, that
our German fellow-citizens have their
love for the Fatherland deep rooted
in the great formative centuries Of
the past; it is associated with long
list of immortal names, names OF per-
sons whose accomplishments for the
race are inestimable. But in this
time of storm and stress these citi-
zens forget that they left Germany
and all these glories because they
disliked the very thing which is at
the core of this controversy, the DOM
NANCY of one family and subsection,
not citizenship They desired to be
tho orh;+oro of thoir Own doStjnv.