Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-11-13
THE SUNSHINE OF PEACE.
(Waterloo TimeS-Tribune,)

waterloo llIueS- 1TlDuue.J
The world has been upside down.
Mankind has been killing off its best
lives instead of conserving them. 1t
has been shooting it's wealth away in
the roar of guns and bombs. Its
hands have been devoted to destruc-
ton. It's wheels of progress have
been stopped. Its attitude toward
almost everything in this life has I'M
dergone tremendous changes. Even
it's thoughts have been twisted and
warped.
Peace finds the world in chaos. Be-
| fore US is new beginning, with revo-
| luton, in large or small degree, prob
able in every one of our economic in
dustrial and social relations, and
Solomon himself would fail success
fully to predict where and how far we
will go.
But through the confusion and un-
certainty our duty appears clear. We
must rebuild the house in which we
live more wisely and permanently. We
must have a house to fit all OF a COM
mon family, not one so cramped by
caste architecture that large part OF
the family must sleep and eat out in
the woodshed. We must scrub the
blood off our doorstep and sweep the
garbage of hate from the corners OF
our rooms. Where the battlesmoke
has blackened the windows, doors and
furnishings, we must repaint in COL
ors of beauty. And we must dedicate
the house to the demonstrated princi-
pie that right is might and shall
prevail, in peace or war.
America pays her share of the aw-
full price in thousands of precious
lives and enormous treasure. Yet,
although peace finds her undevastat-
ed, there are very few other nations
among the late belligerents that are
confronted today by greater problems.
Nations like Germany, Belgium, Aus
tria and Serbia, for instance, begin
Common misery produces common
atty in the human animal as well as
in Others We begin with our polite
AL economic, and industrial factions
practically intact, awake and vigor-
Gus. But the great war efforts COM
mon have brought us closer together
and we will settle every one of our
problems right if we hold fast to the
fundamental principle that all men are
equal, equally entitled to consider
alton and opportunity.
Clearly our first problem is to re-
democratize America.
No peace time president should
hold the autocratic power wisely and
justifably granted President Wilson as
vital necessity in the prosecution of
war business. It was a test Of demOc-
racy to seek to draft twelve to fifteen
million men. 1t was test of demOc-
racy to empower board to say how
little sugar and how much bran
hundred millions of people should eat.
It was test of democracy to draw
death zones around a free press and
free speech, and bound up in or rela-
tive to this proposition of democratic
LutioA' al Z many VI ItS oIhSA PASb
lens of reconstruction.
Peace is a God-given blessing grant
ed because we sacrificed and fought
for the right without selfish aim. The
Almighty has not only enabled us to
stop the frightful destruction and
suffering, but he gives us peace as
glorious opportunity for progress Let
us rebuild our American house with
the determination that it's foundation
shall be equality. Let us try every
new sill and joist with the plumb
line of exact justice. Let us plane
sandpaper, and paint as cOpart-
ners in patriotism. Let us parti-
ton for apartments for the whole fam
lily with private parlors for none. Let
us put about it all the beautiful flow
ers of brotherly love we possibly can.
And that house will endure. 1t will
endure as the highest example Of
human wisdom and civilization. 1t
will stand as radiant monument to
our dear ones who laid down their
lives or their careers in the cause of
freedom, for all, forever.