The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-02-25

/ possessed red blood In my veins or
true courage In my heart, II only
stood by and lamented, plying the
victims OF the incarnate fend? What
have we been forced to see and hear?
We saw ship after ship sent to the
bottom,-ships OF mercy, bound from
America for the Belgian starving;
ships carrying the Red Cross and
laden with the wounded OF all ma
lions; ships carrying food and cloth
ing to friendly, harmless, terrorized
people; ships flying the Stars and
Stripes, sent to the bottom, manned
by American seamen, murdered
against all law, without warning. We
saw the Sussex sunk, crowded with
the sons and daughters of the neu-
trail nations. And If your ear Is as
acute as that of loyal American
should be, you must still hear the
piteous cries Of the children, coming
out of the sea where the Lusitania
went down. II still skeptical as to
the murdcrous designs Of the Prus-
sian beast, let your eye fall momen-
tarily across devastated Belgium -
factories, homes and churches con-
verted to smoke and ashes-"old men,
matrons and priests killed; bodies of
men multlated in ways we could only
mention in whisper; nuns crucified !;
babe nailed to a barn door like a
rat; women and girls raped; men
burned alive, their garments being
soaked in kerosene; Red Cross hospi-
tails bombed" But why rccite such
horrors that were never matched
cruelty, wen in the barbarian age Of
the world? 1t is to warn you that
when the war begin, the Kaiser felt
toward Belgium the tender sentiments
of a lover, in comparison with the
present stage of his murderous senti-
ments toward the United States-the
only power on the earth that could
balk his maddened purpose.
It was not always thus with Ger
many. 1t would form an interesting
study, had we the time to note how
far Germany has travelled from high
er and nobler ideals on its lightning
Express train, known as "Kultur."
1t was Old Emperor William, grand
father of the Kaiser at the beginning
of the Franco-P russian war, who said
to his soldiers: 1--WE are not making
war on peaceable citizens of France,
and the first duty Of the loyal soldier
Is to protect private property and not
suffer the high reputation of our army
to be stained by the commission of
any isolated act showing lack or
discipline | expect of you that you
will conduct yourselves with honor in
the enemy's country" That was near
ly fifty years ago. The present Kais-
er's inhuman charge-printed on mil
lions of postal cards is, "You will give
no quarter. You will take no pris-
oners. You will make yourselves az
terrible as the Huns under Attila,"
and, to encourage his soldiers to do
this, gives to each of them "the Sol
der t0ken"-and aluminium coin,
large as our silver dollar, with the
portrait of the Kaiser's own concep-
ton of God, at the top, with sword in
hand, and at the bottom these words,
Strike Him dead: the day of Judg-
ment will ask no questions"
Friends, we want no Kaiserdom in
America, and that is sufficient reason
why we are at war We might as well
expect mercy and humane treatment
from the jungle tiger of Africa that
has had the taste of human blood, as
this maddened war beast of Prus-
sianism. The horror that Kaiserdom
has already brought upon the world
'urpasses anything in the history Of
the race,-for what other war ever
devastated so many nations. - or
caused to be shed the blood of so
many men? Now, to suffer the Kais-
er to come to Americas shores with
his conquest CT blood and lust for do
Tinion. would be to enlarge the thea
ter Of his crimes against God and
man. No, it is not speculation or
conjecture that this might have come
to pass. The astoundng Developments
are rapidly coming out, that the Unit
ed States-your country and mine,
was to be a part Of the loot Of this
world dreamer. Intrigue, and decep-
ton, falsehocd and treachery have
characterized the Imperial Govern
ment's dealings with the United
States through the past years. All
the while protesting friendship. they
tried to involve Japan in war with us
promising as reward generous
slice of our Western territory; tried
to persuade the Mexican bandit to
point his assassin's dagger at the un-
protected heart Of your country and
mine-giving promise Of large booty
in return for his devilish service. This
would-be slaughterer Of the world,
proud Of his temporary victories over
the allied forces, at an unguarded mo-