The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-30

We hare their promise to pay for every
grain that has kept starvation from
the orphaned children and the widow cd
mothers whose protectors have died
that you and / might continue to en-
Joy the blessings OF life, liberty and
property. Every cent added 10 tbs
cost of wheat adds to the burden OF
these people, who VII le we prospered
as no people ever prosered, held aloft
the flaming torch Of civilization
am not undertaking to justify the
arbitrary price fixing of wheat as
economically sound am not insist.
ing that the price fixed assures the
farmers even a reasonable profit For
the reasons stated no one is competent
to pass on that matter, but do INSIST
that it was necessary and do know
that although the average price re-
celyed by the farmers OF America Tor
their wheat last year was the h CHEST
In thirty years, at the same time the
consumers paid an average Of five dol,
lars a barrel less for flour. than they
paid during the previous twelve
months The food administration has
reduced the difference in the pr &c paid
the producer and the price paid by
the consumer, and for doing that Il has
no apology to offer to any living man.
While not pricefixing body, the
food administration has set its face
like flint against the profiteer. No
man with it's knowledge or consent, is
going to make a dollar now that he
would not have made In times OF peace.
IT does not propose that the war shall
be the occasion for accumulation OF
unearned profits
The food administration insists that
the farmers shall have fair and just
treatment; that they shall share with
all others alike in the blessings OF gov
eminent and with all others share
alike in bearing its burdens. More
than that the self-respecting, patriotic
farmers do not ask.
Without trying to excite your Gu
pidity, | am appealing to you in this
great crisis to redouble your efforts to
produce all the nations essential food
stuffs. Work, Wy friends; work early
and late; work as you have never la
bored, because the fate Of civilization
hangs In the balance, depending largely
upon your efforts. your devotion and
your sacrifice for the verdict. | ap'I
peal to you, not with the promise OF
additional profits, but because world
in agony, womanhood in tears, looks to
you to do your whole part In this
greatest tragedy since Golgotha, MY
friends, those embattled farmers at
Lexi4gton. who unaided raised their
hands against a power to which Rome
in her palmiest days was not to be-
compared, did not calculate the cost
nor measure the sacrifice. They we're
not thinking about the price OF wheat
or caviling over whether II would pay
to raise pork for the gallant soldiers
and sailors, but they were thinking Of
their duty to posterity, Of their obliga.
ton to safeguard that which their faith.
ers had wrested from the savage
and the wild beast. My friends, this
IL no time to count cost or estimate
profits, this is the hour for service
You have an opportunity to serve hui
mainly rever given before to any peo
pie since time began
Think Of this magnificent heritage
of ours. Is 1t not worth fighting for
working FOR, aye, If necessary dying
for? This great structure that we call
civilization was not the work Of day
or year or a century II is the
creation Of all the ages. These evil
dences OF civilization that we have all
about us, this building, this organiza.
ton itself, our political liberty, our no
Zig GUS liberty. our industrial liberty,
our educational liberty, all these things
that we count worth while that make
life to us something to be priced, are
ours because those who went before ua
did not hesitate to sacrifice and labor
and suffer that we might inherit this
priceless heritage 1t ia ours because
those hardy pioneers sailed three
thousand miles OF uncharted seas,
landed on a stern and rock.hound coast,
hlazed pathway through the track
less wilderness, and here erected their
rude temples and dedicated them for.
ever to human liberty. It is ours be-
cause those who went before us count.
ed life thing to be despised II it wera
not lived worthily, apd who never
measured the cost where principle was
involved Now are We, sons Of those
sirAs. going to prove unworthy Of this
inheritance, false 10 their name, un-
true to their faith, all because It -
going to cost us something In blood
and treasure?
My friends, are We going to stand
the test, will we measure up 20 the
sacred trust reposed In nsf Not Il
We are quibbling over the price that
we are to be paid for our efforts, not
If we think more about pFofita thsn
we do about human liberty; not IL We
prize sordid gain above the virtue Of
our women and the honor Of our sons.
This war must be the supreme task,
the first consideration, every hour Of
every day with each and every one Of
US. If we are to prove ourselves true |
TO the faith. This = war not Of
military captains and great armies,
but 1t il var OF peoples. It viii be
won by that people who can stand
steadfast, Immovable. ready to die In
the faith that has made men strong
and great. II will be won, as II should
be, by that people willing to make the
greatest sacrifices, to endure the most I
severe punishment. to give all OF the
best that is in them to the great task.
God grant that the sons OF America /
may be true to the faith, steadfast,
immovable, consecrated to the task
which we have undertaken.
This is not q time to ask whether
You can afford to produce this crop or
will II nav 10 undertake that task. Civil. i