The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-15
NONE SHOULD ESCAPE.
ell as Fully as the Murderer OF Low
Degree.

foremost financial papers of the
world. in discussing some phases Of
the war situation, says:
"Here we shall content ourselves
with saying that the war has forced
upon human intelligence that our
morality is nearly as barbarons as
everything else connecting with the
existing State systems of the world.
A few men in great positions. such
as the Emperors of the two Central!
European States, deliberately in cold
blood manufactured a malignant, an
incredible and an improved charge
! against a small neighboring State to
furnish themselves with an excuse for
destroying that State and carrying OUT
their own policy of conquest. And
forsooth, we are told by men who
profess to be representative of the
very most advanced democracy that
these men ought not to be punished
simply because they were born in
the purple. There was a time when
all the churches all over the world
were combined in preaching that
crowned heads were so holy that they
must not be touched by hostile hands,
and there are men who call them
selves Socialists who have taken up
the cant. and expect people who. if
not either very wise or very well i'm
formed, at least are not absolute.
idiots, to believe that no human pow
er has the right to call a criminal
wearing a crown to account for his
evil deeds. 1t is very clear that our
morality wants refurbishing."
In this clear statement the Statist
expresses the views which the Manu-
facturers Record has held from the
beginning of the war.
The men in Germany and Austria
who have been responsible for the
war. regardless of the fact that some
of them sit on royal thrones, should
be treated exactly as any other GRIM
inals guilty Of murder.
If the war should end without every
great leader, it matters not how high
may be his standing, being held to
a strict personal accountability for the
crimes committed. and punished ac-
cordingly, civilization would have
failed Of it's duty to the future.
To Kaiser Wilhelm and all the mil
itary autocracy which has been re-
sponsible for the unspeakable horrors
of the last three years the severest
punishment possible should be meted
out. Death before the firing squad,
or even death on the gallows, would
be almost too good for them. But
that every one of them should pay
the full penalty of their crimes mns.
inevitably be true. unless all ciyiliza-
ton is to cOndone murders and ra-
pists and every other form of VILE
ness against humanity. and deal lem
iently with men merely because they
have held exalted positions.
He who sits on n royal throne and
Is guilty of murder deserves death
even more than the poor, despised
criminal In the lowly walks of life
who destroys his fellow man. In
deed. 1t ought to be possible to find
some form of punishment more ex-
cruiciatingly severe than that of
death itself. Connected with such
punishment should be every possible
1gnominy to which these people can
be subjected by any decent civiliza.
ton.
The civilization that would permit
Kaiser Wilhelm. the Crown Prince. or
any OF the military leaders respon-
sible for these murders, to continue to
live after the close Of the war would
DE an utter failure. 1t would merely
be inviting another war.
Those who sit on thrones must he
made to realize that in this world. as
we'll as in the next, punishment Is
sure and certain if they violate the
laws OF morality and humanity. He
who would preach any other doctrine
at such an hour as this is an enemy
to all civilization. He who under
any conditions would seek to bring
about peace not based on the death
penalty to be inflicted on the rulers
or Germany. Austria and Turkey
would be false to humanity, and
would be cOndOning the blacklist sins
which have ever stained the history
OF the human Observation-Disclosures
Record.
REJECTED MEN TO BE RECLAIM