Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-08-09
HATE WITHOUT REASON
A National Menace We Must
Guard Against In This
Time of Strife.

try and support OF the lag. My be-
loved father laid down his life on a
southern battlefield that the Union
might live. My only brother fought
in the Union army of Missouri. en-
listed under the stars and stripes at
the age of Is. My oldest son saw
service in the Spanish-American war.
| have nephews and other relatives
in our forces overseas, doing their
best against the hosts of autocracy,
and l myself would gladly go if I
could.
l am not recounting these facts in
any spirit of boastfulness, but only
as q preface to saying some things
that have been on my heart and mind
much of late. / refer to the cam
paign of unreasoning hate and of
brutal disregard for the rights and
feelings of others, which has been an
outgrowth of our war hysteria. /
would feel that my fathers blood
sacrifices of my only brother, of my
self, of my son and of my nephews
had been wasted, if [ did not speak
out, even in the crisis of war. against
so narrow vision, SO perverted a
thought, so prejudiced an opinion,
that leads us to hate without reason,
to persecute without due discrimina-
tion, and to condemn without fair
trial
1t is not often that preach to my
readers, or think that there is need
for preaching, but just now / feel
deeply that it is time for little
plain speaking, right out in meeting.
for a sermon on the need for clear
thinking, sympathetic understanding,
charity, and mutual respect in these
trying days, when nerves are at the
breaking point, when passion runs
high, when hysteria and madness
have seized upon the world, and we
are all in a more or less abnormal
state of mind because of the great
world tragedy through which we are
passing.
This was brought home to me by a
letter which / have just received
from a woman, one of my readers
"a letter which moved me deeply, as
does always the recital of the abuses
which the weak or unfortunate suffer
at the hands of the unthinking or
brutal strong. 1 print it exactly as
it came to me Withholding only the
name and address of the writer.
The Letter.
"My husband and ! are, readers Of
your good paper and have been for
more than four years. We have sub
scribed for three years and think
your paper is just great, foe you al
ways speak SO honest and true, and
give such good articles in your paper.
We think SO much Of it and will not
give it up as long as we can spare a
dollar for it and hope 1t will be a
long time yet.
Now | come to you for reply to
my question and hope you will give
your honest opinion in return, and
we will thank you very much. 1t is
in regard to the German language /
have q sister living twelve miles
from US. She has Two sons, one is in
training at Camp Dodge, the other
one is TO so to Georgia this week;
then il leaves them one daughter
only. My sister is sticky, and has
been for some years. She takes it
brave TO give up her boys, but it
nearly breaks her heart. They
live close to a small town where my
parents are living, mother seventy
five years. father eighty years old.
They have no telephone. My sister
goes 10 see them often my father is
under the doctors care always, the
last few years) then she calls me and
let's me know how they are. Also |
Ike to hear from the soldier nephews.
iiere comes the point. They are
German, can't talk th.. American
language, SO she calls and talks in
her language to me. We are sure we
are just as loyal as any body, but a
few parties on the line, even neigh
bors, won't let US talk. They inter
fere and make all the noise possible
and torment us in every way. They
make US feel that we are German
and show their hate against us. Is
that right. do they encourage US?
No. they discourage us, always try to
make trouble. We haven't had any
trouble SO far, hut we are rather sick
at heart about it and think it is not
the proper way to treat the German
Americans. That's what we are. We
do our duty everywhere We can and
wish our country a speedy victory,
We have few children and We all
try to do our part. We work in the
field, milk. tend the garden, raise
from. 500 to 600 head of poultry. can