Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-08-23

or mole. probably loo, o0o.""' years
30 matter which estimate ,a ,.-er-
ally accept. all alreo tn human ~as'
has been, since li, hi,th passing
through SLOW but certain alotst.aa.
Development from a lover +. Il
h.ehcr civilization. oar r.@.."
ancestors may have been rtug-.a..a:
monkey, swinging from trees Ill Tie
Jungles. but certain is our hope ava
faith that our remote pro1nns 0il
be in truth but little lower ,@an the
angles.
Out OF the ignorance OF is pr.m-
tive origin has Labor struggled Is
manhood The oppressed OF ages,
the beast Of burden of tyrany in hu.
man form. its back has been bent
with toll, its head bowed with sor-
row. Kings have ruled princes have
enslaved, and autocrats have plum.
dered their fellow men, all because,
the masses of the people have been
too ignorant and too timid 10 throw
off the yoke of bondage
But the new era dawns Even as
Christ brought the first great, indy
ing hope to all men, even as He, the
Nazarine workman, taught mankind
to call none master save the Al
mighty. so have the toilers OF earth
through twenty centuries OF painful
progress, never lost sight OF tina,
hope breathed in the prayer. Thy
will be done, on earth. as it is in
heaven" And upon earth, here and
now, it is the hope, the prayer. and
the determination of Labor, that the
Divine will, meaning thereby justice,
shall be done.
Periodically earths millions COM
bat one another with fire and sword |
to carve the way to higher civiliza
ton. Periodically whole nations or
races, enslaved by royal or auto
cratic tyranny, lay down their lives
by millions to perpetuate that tyrany. I
With their gaze droopingly fixed
upon the earth-clods of servility, they |
give their poor lives to preserve a
wornout system which must surely
die.
But there is brighter side to the
shield. Other millions, with keener
vision, see the star of hope for the
future, see the brighter life posi-
BILE for their children through the
heroism and sacrifice o. the present
generation. A war that engulfs hui
mainly, having its origin in the am
bition for world dominion of group
of Teutonic autocrats, has become
the vehicle that shall carry the labo =
ers of earth into complete freedom.
Every libertyloving people on earth
is allied with every other democratic
nation to destroy the tyranny of the
Rhine and thus protect their people
from it's mailed fist. Relying for the
support of it's arm of defense, an
arm recruited from the toilers, upon
the workers in shop, factory. forest
and mine, the free governments of
earth now say. with truth, to earth's
workers: This is your war; what
will ye?"
Out of ignorance and obscurity
have we at last risen, through labor,
study and sacrifice, to the place of
honor among men. AS we survey
the past, as We mediate the present,
as we glimpse the future, well may
we sing
We will speak out, we will be heard,
Though all earth's systems crack;
We will not bait one single word,
Nor take one letter back
Let liars fear, let towards shrink,
Let traitors turn away;
Whatever we have dared to think
That dare we also say.
For ridicule, then, what care we?
For kissing or for scorn,
While still some gleamings We cal,
of freedoms coming morn?
AS the soldier sings where Do
We Go From Here?" so may Labor
ask whittier now?" We are in pos
session of a new-found but long
hoped-for power. O. be careful. be
careful!
Quo Vadis, Quo Vads. Labori?