The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-02
Why Universal Service.
(By E. e. Hartman of The Vigilan-
tes)

Yes, why? Stick up peg there and
skirmish for reasons. Why?
hear voice say that it is not fair
that one should bear the burden of
two, therefore all should share alike
the burden of defense. An AXIOM
Not one in ten will try to combat that
theory.
Another says that acceptance Of
protection from the comm onwealth
obligates the citizen to protect the
commonwealth in turn. Surely.
The disciple of physical perfec-
ton tells us that the training makes
better men and hereby hurries us
nearer the ultimate goal of perfec-
ton; that this good result is manifest
in the next generation and is the
real highroad to follow. That the
training makes the trained more alert.
selfreliant keen of w.t. therefore bet
ter fitted for any activity of life. All
|
The man who hates war, yet retains
a modicum Of stiffening in his spine
and gray matter in his brain. believes
that universal service will give to the
United States a body Of trained men
that Will be an effective warning to
trespassers. Which is true provid-
ed that we eliminate the Wilhelm
| strass propagators of rottenness that
are striving to weaker every part of
the national structure.
But none of these things have
touched the greatest good of all, sure
to follow tire adoption of universal
service under our form of govern
ment. All are good, all are true. but
the best and truest of all, that which
Will bring the most lasting good to ev-
cry part of our nation is this; that
sectional, racial, and class distinctions
will be wiped out; that men will get
to know each others true value and
to know themselves in truer light.
When the boy from Atlanta and
the boy from st. Paul, the one from
Boston and the one from Los Ange
les, the one from Naples and the one
from Moscow, the one from Auld
Reekie and the one from Belgrade
are thrown into daily contact, doing
the same things and learning the
same things, there will be a breaking
down of prejudices and an opening
up of confidence.
Isn't it the verdict Of the camps
today? Have we not seen the Jew
from the Ghetto and the son of the
millionaire learn new and lasting re-
spect for each other? Have we not
seen the college bred American boy
and the son of Chinese truck gard
ener learn to see the good in eacn 9TH
er? Can we go back of the verdict
OF the boy from an old American
family college bred and proud of his
blood, who said of a bunch or tor
eign born, You've got to hand il TO
those guys. They're in dead earnest
and they're all man, all the wav
through. Just crazy to prove them
selves good Americans, and rake it all
with grin. You like 'em when YOU
get to know EN-"
All. that is the point, getting TO
know them, and where do men get
to know each other as they do in the
training camp, unless it is upon the
field of battle? And to prove that we
need to know each other, just bark
back to the remarks made before
the war.
1T is always the poor man who has
to do the fighting, while the rich lou
at home and get richer"
"You can not expect ANYTHING
from these uneasy Aborers in case
of war They won't do a thing but
snarl at the men who do the work of
war preparation and then thew will
hang back and let us do all the fight.
ing for them"
That is the way certain men of
two classes talked. 1 heard them.
What are they doing now? Training
hard in the same cause and with sim
cere respect for each others virtues.
There is no better way to break
down the wall Of partition that stands
between rich and poor, educated and
ignorant, native born and foreign
tasks, under the same conditions and
accord them the same treatment.
with national safety as the goal be-
fore them.
So we may sum the matter up in