McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-05-24

stains that rests upon the reputation
of the German army Is that they
have not respected the Red Cross.
THAT goes to the root of the mat
ter. They have not respected the in
strumentality they themselves partici
pated In setting up as the things
which no man was to touch, because
1t was the friend Of common human
ity. We are members, by being mem.
bers of the American Red Cross, Of
great fraternity and comradeship
which extends all over the world, and
this cross which these ladies bore
today is an emblem OF Christianity it.
self.
ut fills my Imagination, ladies and
gentlemen, to think of the women all
over this country who are busy to-
night and are busy every night and
every day doing the work of the Red
Cross, busy with great eagerness to
find out the most serviceable thing to
do, busy with a forgetfulness Of
all the old frivolities of their social
relationships, ready to curtail the
duties of the household in order that
they may contribute to this common
work, that all their hearts become
acquainted with each other. When
you think Of this, you realize how
the people Of the United States are
being drawn together into great in
innate family whose heart is being
used for the service of the soldiers
not only, but for the service OF civil
ians. where they suffer and are lost
in maze of distress and distrac.
tions. And you have then this noble
picture Of justice and mercy as the
two servants of liberty. For only
where men are free do they think the
thoughts of comradeship; only where
they are free do they think the
thoughts of sympathy; only where
they are free are they mutually help
full; only where they are free do they
realize their dependence upon one an.
another and their comradeship in
common interest and common neces-
sity.
Story Worth Repeating.
Il heard story the other day that
was ridiculous, but 1t is worth repeat
ing, because 1t contains the germ of
truth. An Indian was enlisted in the
army. He returned to the reserva-
tion on furlough. He was asked
what he thought of it. He said: No
much good; too much salute, no much
shoot Then he was asked: Are
you going back? Yes Well do you
know what you are fighting for.
Yes, me know; fight to make whole
damn world Democratic party He
ho antI xy ,Sax dos IN,
nocent sentence of my own. But af-
ter all, although there Is no party
purpose in 1t, he got it right as far
as the word party to make the
whole world democratic In the sense
of unity Of interest and Of purpose,
and If you ladies and gentlemen could
read some of the touching dispatches
which come through official channels,
for even through these channels there
come voices of humanity that are in.
finitely pathetic; IL you could catch
some of those voices that speak the
utter longing of oppressed and help
less peoples all over the world, to
hear something like the Battle Hymn
of the Republic, to hear the feet OF
the great hosts of liberty going to set
them free, to set their minds free, set
their lives free, to set their country
free, you would know what comes into
the heart of those who are trying to
contribute all the brains and all the
power they have to this great organi-
cation. l summon you to the COM
radeship. / summon you in this next
week to say how much and how sim
cerely and how unanimously you sus-
tain the heart of the world"