St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-08-22
What We Are Fighting For.

What We Are Fighting For.
The United States stands for free
dom in the widest sense. No country
ever gave so much to it's citizens as
our country does to US. Here no one
can be touched because of his faith.
We enjoy freedom of public meeting,
free debate, free press. There is
no restricted, no graded" franchise.
Periodically we gather in public
meeting, to determine policy and taxa
ton. We elect our President and all
public servants. No one can be ar
rested without due process of law.
We have free education. There is
free opportunity to get ahead-no
won" toeone's name, no caste needed.
But brains and education and energy
are the only requisites to put one on
the road to prominence and fortune.
1t is our glory that many of our
Presidents have risen from the hum
blest life.
On the other hand, in contrast to
such a democracy and to such free
institutions, we see Germany, a
tyrannical, cruel ,autOcracy. The Ger
mans have no political freedom.
But their happiness and misery are
in the hands of their Kaiser. His
word only is necessary to make war
and they must obey. When the
propitious for enlarging Germany
boundaries, he jumps out upon his
Treaties are scraps of paper" Lux
emberg and Belgium are invaded and
over-run because military ne
cessity'' And thus the Germans
boast that in foreign lands the war is
waged. War is he'll, said Sherman.
But his "hell'' pales before the hell
of Germanys making in some parts
of Europe today. Before the de-
vouring sword nothing is sacred.
are outraged. Men are deported to
slavery. Thousands and thousands
die of starvation. Millions are in aw-
full misery Poland and Belgium are
martyred
Who can stop this bloody ambition
for greater Germany, for world
power? England and Italy and the
other Allied Powers are realizing the
danger and are withstanding the on
are contemporaries outraged and oul
citizens are drowned, then we, too
draw the sword.
Our liberties and sacred rights
have been tramped upon again and
again. Our country is in danger
None too soon are we entering the
fight. We cannot, we must not lose
our honor, our own self-respect as
we'll as the respect of the world. Oul
citizens must not be killed with i'm
punity Yes, we must fight!
Many patriots have labored and
fought, suffered and died, to secure
for us the liberties we enjoy today
And Nathan Hale regretted he had
America has given much to us and
has seldom asked much in return
hi hl -nrizn
now in danger. If Germany were to
succeed in her aggressions in Europe
very soon we should feel her oppres-
sive heel The conflict would be in
evitable At a later day perhaps we
would have to fight alone, and
against a mightier Germany. In SELF
defense, therefore, we must fight
Therefore, it is wiser.t to join the pow
ersi who are withstanding her world
wide ambitions today. than to wait tC
some future time for the inevitable
conflict. In anticipation, therefore
our women, defending our homes, de-
Tending our honor, defending Amer
lea from ever becoming "a Belgium
HE'LL With the sword we must
make the world safe for democracy
This is no hour for slackers. Nc
time to claim exemption. And as
noble mothers and wives in the past
gave up their sons and husbands tC
secure for us the liberties that we are
enjoying today, so will our woman
hood once again make the sacrifice
The times demand the heroic. AND
we must have the patriotism that ami
mated Nathan Hale.
German Citizenship.
In these times when the victory OF