Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-02-07
OBSERVATIONS

- 49,
my friend, and affords very unpleas-
ant reminders of certain .well-known
individuals whose names are perpet-
uated not in the christenings of little
children but in the unholy deeds of
misguided men,-Judas lscariot, Bene-
dict Arnold, Aaron Burril
Let us therefore have a care how
we pass this word on from one per-
son to another. On the other hand,
let no loyal citizen be So careless Of
his good name as to say or do any
thing that would bring even the sus-
picion of such a black charge. We
should avoid even the appearance of
~disloyalty. If a man stands squarely
out in the open his attitude toward
the government is not likely to be
called in question.
I believe there is very little of actual
%disloyalty among us. The federal Off
Gals are attending to that in a very
thorough manner There is great need
that all people maintain a spirit of
fair play, and hat we refrain from
casting suspicion upon a man whose
parents are Of Teutonic rather than
Celtic or Semitic origin.
A national political campaign is not
so very far away. Already men are
wondering about the alignments for
preliminary positions. This is Amer
lea and not Russia Friendly criticism
of the administration is not disloyalty
Les majesty has never yet been on
sidered equivalent to high treason at
Washington. 1t i'll be easy to call
IN question the loyalty of a man who
feels duty bound to oppose certain
parts of the government program.
There will be enough of hot and angry
words. Any man or group Of
men advocating principles that in
volve the destruction of our demo
cratic institutions deserves to be
branded as a traitor. The coming
campaign will be a torrid one. Mean
while, let us keep our reason. Use
harsh words sparingly.
For example, there is no occasion for
private citizens trying to do the work
of federal officials, as was the case
at Mitchell recently, when the social
list, Rempfer, was roughly handled.
Again, let us not play the fool in this
movement to change the anne of
towns. Once we begin there is no end
until we have expurgated every Ger
man word from our dictionaries, Ger
man music from our Conservatives
and churches, German literature from
our libraries. There would be compar-
atively little organ music for our Sun.
day services should we do that. Are
we to forget that Germany was the
home of Luther and the Reformation?
Are we to forget the brilliant names
that will shine forever with undimmed
luster in the central galaxy of the
worlds literature? Are we to forget
the scholarship of Germany, the bust.
ness efficiency, the ancient traditions
and the more recent scientific achieve
ments?
All of which makes the present
plight of that great people all the
more appalling. The indictment is al
ready without equal in the entire
known history of the world, A writer
in one of our leading religious re
views said only recently:
1.-THE Reign Of Terror, with it's de
s%tructive passions, its ferocious crimes
and wanton massacres, was a mere
drop in the bucket in comparison with
the atrocities and nameless crimes Of
the present awful war, which has EN-
broiled the entire world in a carnage
Of such gigantic proportions, which has
no regard for age or sex, and in which
old men and women, defenseless non
combatants, and innocent, helpless
babes have ben ruthlessly murdered
by the thousands, and when womer
and young girls Of tender year have
been subjected to indignities worse
than death, and when the veil Of TIL
nun in the seclusion Of the convent, o
the garb of the sister Of charity O
missions Of mercy offered no protec
stion from the bestiality of libertines
who prided themselves that they were
human beings Of superior rank, mem
bers OF the oldest and noblest G..
families Of their fatherland.
Surely this is Armageddon, fore
seen BY the eer from the lonely ISL
of Patmos, the abomination which
maketh de~solate, the mystery Of mi
guilty which tramples upon all that il
holy, the reign Of the Lawless One
IL 4 + = r.. 49, rL.-...-.41 - $50 =