The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-07-26

St. Louis, MO-, July ~, 1918.
To Fathers of Soldiers,
st. Francois County.
Gentlemen
In the Democratic United States
Senatorial race, have been for SEN
ator Whitley since he announced FOR
the position. | have not been actively
in politics for twenty years, but when
the so-called peace telegram was pub
lished and the malicious attack made
on Senator Whitley / came to his head
quarters and offered my assistance
and have been here ever since.
| have known Senator Whitley for
% years intimately. ] know how sin
cerc he has been in the Red Cross
work and how he went out and cam
paigned the State for that and the
Liberty Loan long before he was APP
pointed United States Senator. | have
never heard of Mr.. Folk making any
campaign for either in this State or
anywhere else, before he became a
candidate.
| charge that this malicious attack
is made by Mr.. Folk for political pur-
poses only and that Mr.. Folk believes
as sincerely as ! do in the loyalty Of
otlldDUl w lllty. i tillllh LIll4I d SlIlS
majority Of our people hoped and
prayed that we could keep out of war
at the time this telegram was sent,
March s, 1917, if it could be done hon
orably. / do not think the President
had any intention of declaring war un-
til March II, 1917, when the German
submarine sunk three unarmed Amer
lean vessels. 1t was on that account
that he recalled his call to Congress 10
meet on the 18th day of April, 1917,
and issued new call to Congress to
meet on the second day of April. Then
we all knew and felt that war would
and should be declared. The dignity
and honor of our country was at
stake. We know that it meant the
lives of our sons and the expenditure
of great wealth and we were all will
ing for it. a.
certainly hoped on the 9Th day of
March, 1917, that peace could be main
tanned. Ten days later / would have
hung my head in shame if we had not
declared war after the overt act, the
sinking of unarmed American YES
sells. On the declaration, Of war, my
only son, then, eighteen years old,
asked for my. written consent to go TO
France. ! gave, it, and was proud to
do So, He, landed in France May 30,
1917, and has been in this war ever
since. He is now in Italy in the Avia-
ton.
Senator Whitley spoke the prayer
full words of the fathers and mothers
of our country when he wanted 70
keep out of war, if it could be done
honorably. Mr.. Folk does not know
what that means--never having been
a father. Mr.. Folk speaks the Ian
guage of politician in ordinary
times. This is no time for a man to
bring up matters for the purpose of
inf1aming the people. If Senator Will
fey was guilty Of disloyalty, as Mr..
Folk attempts to charge him, he
should be taken out and shot.
Mr.. Folk has made this charge to
profit by IT, We. are all opposed to
commercial profiteers taking advan-
tage of our people. How much more
should VIC be against political profit.
GERS when they try to disrupt our peo-
nle on the war issue for personal po-
1itical gain. i..Ga ~ $50 -. ~
/ have, written YOU. at length be-
cause T. aim very much Interested irfl
this question. know both men well.
/ feel perfectly iatisfedat ut Etnatort
Whitley would, respond to the feelings
of my boy and yours. do not have
that feeling for Mr.. Folk after his
making his dastardly charges. Great
ing in the minds Of our people at a
time when we all ought to be working
for the one aim, that is, for the sue
cessful conclusion Of this war.
To me, Mr.. Folks methods of pol
tiles qarc the methods of the Hun
arule III ruiftr It is necessary for us
to cement party ties and drive Hunism
out Of the partyaAs our American boys
are coing to. drive It out Of the world.