The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-07-05
OUR NATION AT WAR
LEARNING LIBERALITY

baptism of fire and blood. 1t is no
sign of the Divine displeasure when
person or nation is called to pass
through the crux, for "Whom the
Lord loveth He chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom He receiv-
eth. The fire beneath the crucible
destroys only the dross--the gold
comes forth refined to the ultimate.
Like Phoenix, without the smell OF
fire upon her garments, Columbia
comes from the fame endowed with
new life and loneliness.
Before this tiger-strife shall cease
few will be the American households
having no representative in tour
far-hung battle lines" 1t is expect
ed that beside many an ingle will be
vacant chair, casting its shadow
over the hearth and heart. We must
face the future with stout hearts,
worthy the tradition of our elders. The
casualty list charging must not move
us to the gross error of premature
peace. For this our enemy works and
hopes.
We speak "by the book" when we
call this nation Goods chosen CHILD"
For a time like this we were born
and nurturcd by the hand of unerring
Providence. Our soil responds to the
hand of husbandry with prodigal
yield, our varied climate making pos
sble a variety Of crops unknown. to
other nations: and locked in the sol!
beneath our feet a mineral wealth
making a meagre mite the tabled
| II nf nd of M
| But these alone do not make ma
ton great and strong. Material
wealth, hired and used by material
istic minded men is bane, not a
blessing.
Our strength and boast is in the
character of our citizenry and the
concept of our government. 1t was not
an utterance of sordid souls when our
forebears, exercising "decent regards
for the opinions of all mankind" gave
voice in that immortal document to the
"self-evidcnt" principle that call men
are created equal and by their Creator
endowed with certain inalienaole
rights, among which are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness"
To gain for themselves these rights
they shed their blood in a crimson
flood, and victory purchased with
many a scar. To give these same
blessings to the world we are now
pouring out our blood and treasure on
foreign battle fields.
This war then, did not generate
generosity in us--it was inherent in
people whose national genesis was
the birth of freedom and equality.
Perhaps when nature poured in cur
lap from the cornucopia of her riches
wealth beyond the fondcst dreams
of avaricc," some Of US had grown
opulent, gross and grasping, but this
war has proven that such were indi-
vidual faults, while the heart of the
nation at large was as true 10 its
primitive principles as is the needle to
| the pole. But the war is changing
even those selfish souls, and the calls
of the Red Cross, Y. NJ. c. A. and Sal
walton Army for funds for war work
are cutting the purse strings Of the
most penurious till soon will be fGi-
filled the prophecy one made months
ago that "Soon your wealth will De
the cheapest thing you own"
For this and else this war will be
in part a blessing. We will come
therefrom with still greater altruism
in aim and aspiration. Sordidness
and selfishness cannot live in an atmo-
sphere of self-sacrifice, and while our
sons are offering their lives on The
battlefialds of Europe the most mis-
cradle miser hasn't the temerity tc
hoard at home.
Selfishness has unfounded every ra-
ton of time. 1t was "thc ancient
traitor" and will be the Judas who
sends the nations of now and the fu-
ture down to dust.
"Voices are crying from the dust OF
Tyre,
From Karnak and the stones OF
Babylon;
we raised our pillars upon self-de.
sire,
And persisted from the large gaze
of the sun.
A grandeur looked down from the
Pyramid;
A glory came on Greece, c light m
Rome,
But in them all the ancient traitor
hid,
And so they passed like momentary
foam.
There was no substance in their soar.
ing hopes:
The voice of Thebes is but desert
cry:
A spider bars the road with fimS
ropes,
Where once the feet of Carthage
Numbered by.
A bittern cries, where once Queen Di
do laughed,
A thistle mods where once the forum
poured,
A lizard lifts and listens OH shaft
Where once of old the Coliseum
l roared.
| 1t is a vision, waiting and aware,
And you must draw it down, oh mei
of worth,
Draw down the New Republic, held il
the air,
And make for it foundations on TIL
: earth"
| see our nation after this war en-
Toying better as well as a neWe
, freedom, cmancipated from the sill 0
/ selfishness, rising from the mire am
muck of slavery to greed into tn