Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-17

had the right to oalk and to vote II
congress against the war, but wher
war was once declared, no man wheth
er he be on the floors Of congress OF
anywhere else, had right to do {
single thing or say single word tt
injure the cause of his country, or tc
make his country any weaker in this
great contest. Criticism should be
reserved now until this war is over
l had little streak of criticism run
ming in my veins about one thing that
happened, but I have gotten over 1t
l hoped and congress hoped, and con-
gress voted originally that that in
trepid American who was SO anxious
to get up a division Of soldiers and
go to France, should be permitted tc
do so. / believe that that would put
enthusiasm into our American people
for this cause. 1t would have put
faith into the allies; it would have
put fear, into the enemies Of our coun-
try, If that. intrepid citizen of Oyster
Bay could have taken big regiment
over there along the lines Of France
Military authorities thought different
and we should bow to their will with.
out criticism.
Now, my friends, have right to
talk candidly to you because l held
back as much as anybody going into
this contest, but once in it l am just
as anxious that we go through with
it, 20 through with it as quickly as we
can. The one great question OF the
American people is how to get
through this as quickly as possible
with as little loss of life and limb as
| possible, and all other questions are
absorbed in that great and mighty
| question, and it is a time for soul
searching in this country. Look into
your hearts, and if you as a citizen
of this country, whether born here or
naturalized here, with all this coun-
try has done for you, with these won
derful doors Of opportunity open to
the children of today and to the chill
dren of tomorrow, some OF you pos
sibly who have come to this country
OF get rid of just what we are lighting
or abroad-now honestly, If in search
ing your soul you find that there is
greater loVe there for some other
country, some enemy of our country,
than there is for this blessed old Uni
ted States, it is your duty as an honest
man to go to that country II any
body likes Prussian militarism better
than they like this government OF the
people, they had better go to Prussia,
because they will get Prussian mill
tarism by going there, believe me,
quicker than they, will to wait until
Prussian militarism gets this country
of Ours. I do not say that in any
harsh way, but there is only one flag
now to follow: that is the "Stars and
Stripes" You couldn't blame man,
before this war started, for having
an affection for the country OF their
birth or from which their fathers
came. l have a love in my heart for
old Scotland; L can't help it. MY
father came from Scotland with
great family, poor as poor could be:
come to this land as little boy, ana
with these opportunities came along
up to know what this freedom we en-
10y means. l love Scotland; l love its
highlands and its heather; If Scotland
was engaged in war with some other
nation, l could not help but feeling
partisanship for Scotland, and SO
YOU who have had love for the old
fatherland, you who have had love
for Germany in the old days, you
could not be blamed. Nc one would
have any right to blame you. But you
and I, if a contest came between our
country and Scotland or between our
country and Germany, our duty Is TO
stay by our country, and II you think
in your hearts that we should not
have gone into the war, II you think
II was wrong to go into the war, yet
right or wrong now there is no choice.
and believe me, 1t will cost this nation
of ours more money to lose this war
it will cost it more lives to lose thls
war, than it will to win this war. ),
Some German statesman announced
a few weeks ago that they would
levy a tribute on this country OF
eigity-nine billion dollars. What Will
your farms be worth then? You Will
wish you had put something into
Liberty bonds. Eighty-nine billion
dollars. But let me tell you, Mr.. Kali
ser, sitting over there on your mur-
derous throne with six husky sons
that never seemed to smell any gun
powder or get hurt, you want to en-
ploy the best collection agency you
can get to collect that money, and II
YOU don't make much better progress
than YOU are making on the western
front. you had better try the other way
and hack up around and come around
the Pacific, and we will meet you
there. We are not going to pay any
indemnity. We are not asking lndem-
nifty from anybody else. This nation
did not 20 into this war for conquest or
for idemnity. We showed IN the
Cuban war that America could sacr1-
Ace for humanity 1t Is hard for other
nations to believe that. We did II
there. We are In this now only for
humanity and my friends. that Ola
toast of Stephen Decatur like that
toast! Our country ought not to De
wrong Of course in its dealings with
other nations. We may make mistakes
and we may be wrong at times, but
that is the true doctrine for Ameri-
chns-"My country in its dealings
with foreign nations, may it always be
right, but right or wrong-my coun-
try"
Rack n few years ago the world
was pretty prosperous. 1t was rea-
sonably happy Men and women were
getting along pretty we'll on the farms
and in industry. Boys were growing
I'M all over the world and becoming
educated. Girls were growing up to
assume the great duties OF woman.
hcpd. What changed all Of this? what
puts today ring OF bayonets around
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