French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-17

Some one il going to wish to hang
himself after the war is over. How
do we know? 1t is a principle as old
and true as life. Shakespeare gave
expression TO 1t when he made Henry
Nv wave his hand to a delinquent sol.
der, after an important battle had
been fought, and say, Hang yourself
Crillon. We have fought at Argues and
you were not there" Historians say
that IL all the tragedies of wars could
be written, the saddest chapters would
be those which recorded the victims
Of relentless Iemorse-the Judases
who went out and hanged themselves,
because their God and their country
called and they did not go. ~1n%
There are four occasions on which
Q man who did not answer his coun-
try's call at q time Of need win wish
to hang himself when the war is over.
The first of these will be when the
soldiers return, battle SCARED but VIC
torious and happy, and when he will
be called upon to face them and an
swer In his soul what he did to help
20 bring them back safe and triumph
ant. AS they will march for the grand
review before the President, and then
before the Governor, and later through
the streets OF his W little town,
when millions will thrill and shout
their threats hoarse with praise and
Gcclamations, then will he hate him
self. Down In his heart he will wish
that he we're hanging from a tree over
q cliff.
Another occasion on which such q
man will be called to face another gem
Oration,-tt may be his own children,
who when they have asked every
question concerning the war, will look
with great expectancy into his face
and ask. What did you do to help win
the war? Rather than dfsappoint one
OF these little ones, he would rather
that a milestone were about his neck
and that he we're drowned at the bot
com OF the q
Then there Is public opinion that he
will meet face to face day after day
rs long az he lives. He may heap
deeds upon deeds Of patriotism, but
ne can never live down the ignominy
brought upon himself and his poster
tty by refusing to heed his courtry's
call. No attempt that he may make
&s an effort to declare his patriotism
or redeem his record Of dishonor will
be accepted by merciIeSs public opin-
ion. Nothing he can say OF little that
ne an do will atone for the charge
that his country called and he was not
there.
And yet the greatest Of all his &C.
cusers will be his conscience. He win
seek to hide from this by day and
nee from it by night, but it's ever ac-
cusing finger will be present. Forget
tt, ne car not. His spirit will ever din
Into his ears the condemning voice,
saying, "a great battle was fought for
God and right and you were not there.
Go hang yourself"
Who Is the Mann
The man who will want to hang
himself after the war will belong to
one Of three classes, traitor. Stacker.
prohteer-thres words of the most ig-
nominious meaning in the English Ian
guage today.
II his crime be that OF q traitor Il
does not necessarily mean that he
crossed the seas and betrayed the
movement OF troops, or gave u other
Information that aided the enemy. On
the other hand, It may mean, and
most likely does mean, that he was
one whose fortune Il was to remain
u home, but who refused to support
mis- Government by complying with its
various requests. which hindered its
program, prolonged the war and cost
the lives Of thousands Of American
soldiers; or he criticised the Govern.
nent which gave rise to snemy prop
aganda and furthered its spread so a