Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-24

this war w0.4d be to lose all that
Washington and Lafayette won. all
that Lincoln and Grant won. We must
win, we are going to win. And in or
der to win, the government not only
needs money but is going to get what
money it needs.
1T will get it either by the sale of
bonds, or by taxation. A bond is an
Investment, the safest in the world
and paying good interest. Taxation
is so much money out of ones pocket,
with no financial returns whatever.
And yet I learn that the sale of
these bonds is somewhat tagging, par
ticularly among the farmers. We have
all heard that human selfishness is
specially in evidence in our great
cities, in the midst Of the greed and
avarice generated by the fierce scram-
BILE for money and wealth. We have
been told over and over that the
sound, patriotic element Of the popu-
lation, the moral backbone Of the ma
ton, is on the farms and in the rur-
al districts. Can it be that this was
one of our fond delusions? Can it be
that in this dark hour of our country's
crisis the patriotism and the loyalty
as we'll as the enlightened self interest
of the city man will leave that of the
farmer in the rear? Being weighed as
we all are in the balance of patriotic
devotion to the nations good, is it the
farmer who will prove to be wanting?
am not yet ready to believe it. o.
"And after all, what is it to buy a
bond? We hear a great deal in these
days about the sacrifices demanded by
this war. 1t does demand them beyond
any other war in history. But who is
1t that is making them? Is it the man
who buys a bond? Listen. Tonight
at this very moment, five of our Man
chester young men are tossing upon
| the pillows of the Atlantic on their
way to the blood-stained trenches in
France Any moment death-laden
missile from out of the darkness and
mystery of the great deep may send
them into eternity. They have left
home and friends and prospects be-
hind to face the uncertain future in
| fighting their country's battles. They
tare- making sacrifices. Their fathers.
who hoped that some day these sons
would rise to some place of honor
and usefulness in the world, but who
are now speeding them on their high
but dangerous mission, they are max
ing sacrifices. And the mothers, who
went down to the gates of death to
give them life. who watched over
them through all the years with the
anguished love mother alone knows,
and who have now with prayers and
tears laid them upon the altar of our
common country, they are making sac
rifices. And shall we then, in the face
of all this, talk of the man who buys
the best bond in the world, at four
per cent interest, and with good
prospect of selling it at premium
when the war is over, as making sac
rifice? Heaven save the mark! That
word sacrifice is one of the greatest
in human speech. All the holiest
things of the past have come forth
from if; all the holiest things of the
future are wrapped up in it. Let us
beware how we cheaper it by daub-
ing it with the thin veneer of naw-
kish sentimentalism and bandying it
about for mere show purposes.
No; you, my friend, are not asked
to make sacrifice; you are asked to
make an investment, and very good
one at that. If you know your own
business as we'll as you should, you
will put your money in bond in
stead of paying it out later in taxes.
These, then, are the alternatives;
before the nation, BONDS OR BOND
AGE: before the individual, INVEST
MENT OR TAXATION. The choice
is yours, and the time to choose is
now.
Friends, unless for you the name
America has lost its grandeur, unless
for you the ideals Of our country
have lost their beauty, unless for you
the name of Liberty has lost its hal
lowed meaning unless for you yon
flag has lost its glory, you will go out
at once and BUY A LIBERTY BOND!
PATRIOTIC MEETING ST. MARY'S