The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-20
Shall Hullland 90 Unwhipped
Justice?

(Richard II. Edmonds, Editor Manu-
facturers Record, in The Evening
q Sun, Baltimore, Nov. -
After four years of the greatest
criminal record in human history
Germany begs, like the cringing cow
ard or the defeated bully, for an
..honorable peace" and there are in
timations IN America that some peo-
PIE desire TO give Germany peace
without: humiliation" and without
punishment: OF indemnities adequate
to mete. out justice to such a nation.
It is we'll to bear definitely in
mind, and never to forget it, that this
is unlike any other war Of which we
have any record. It is, indeed, not
war in the ordinary sense. It Il
a. Campaign of murde~ and looting
undertaken by a nation after years OF
preparation: Through its entire edu-
cational system, through its military
life asTwell as in its private life;
Germany had for years been planning
70 bring on a war for the definite
purpose OF looting the world, abso-
lutely without regard to the millions
who might be murdered in the cam
paign.
Through its military teachings i
was for years proclaiming that
frightfulness must be part Of war
in order to deter other nations from
daring to risk its vengeance. In this
numbering, marauding expedition
Germany has wrought such havoc as
the world had never known. Mil
lions have died, millions have been
manned, blinded, torn and shattered
in body and in mind, and hundreds
OF millions have suffered in agony
as for four years they have seen their
loved ones fighting against the forces
Of hell let loose on earth by Germany.
And shall we call such a struggle
war? It is, indeed, not war as we
have known wars. Our allies and our
soldiers are engaged in an effort 10
prevent a nation of nurderers and
outragers and unscupulous scoun-
drels, backed by the entire sent1-
ment of their countries, from over
running the world, destroying clvlli-
zation and placing all mankind un-
der the domination and the damna-
ton Of German Kultur for the per-
sonal and natior al enrichment of the
German people.
If we do not punish these GRIM
inals, then we should open wide the
doors Of every penitentiary and JAN
on earth and announce that no mur-
derer, no outrager and no other crin-
inal shall ever again be punished
The future of civilization demands
that we shall punish criminal Ger
many; that we shall compel It's ar
mics and navies to surrender uncon-
ditionally, and that there shall then
be meted out to the criminal leaders
the same punishment on the gal
lows which is given to inolVlouai
criminals.
Unless this be done, we shall be
false to all civilization and show
moral faDbiness which would through
the centuries to come destroy the
moral fiber of the world.
We should also require Of Ger
many a full indemnity for every dol
lar expended by America and the al
lies in preventing that murderous nf-
ton from destroying civilization. i
it conceivable that after four years
of agony we shall permit Germany te
20 unpunished, and we and our allies
carry the tremendous financial burder
which rests upon us? Why shoult
the people of America and England
and France and Italy and Belgium
and Serbia be forced for years t
carry the enormous taxation tha
would be required to meet the in
debtedness Of the war and leave Ger
many, the criminal which brought OF
this war for it's own profit. to go prac
tically unpunished. If we should per
NIT such condition through an.
false sense Of mercy, we would prov
recreant to our responsibility to tn
civilization Of the centuries to come
as recreant indeed as would the Judg
and Jury who, having sworn to up
hold the law, out Of some sick'
neurotic sentiment turned zoos
without punishment the worst Grim
inals ever known.