The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-05
Highest Form Of
Patriotism and LOYALTY.

These are times that try mems
| souls-we must have patience and
courage and loyalty and faith and
| confidence and patriotism. And what
! is patriotism? The highest form Of
| patriotism is willing submission to
| lawfully constituted authority. And
] where does lawful authority exist in
| this country? IN the people Of this
| nation.
But as men differ as to politics, the
majority must control; the minority
must yield to the voice of the major
| ity. This is the only way in which a
republic may exist and endure. And
how do the people express themselves
in this country? Through their
| agents selected to speak for them, the
| members of congress and the mem
bers of the senate and the President
of the United States. These servants
Of the people have spoken--congress
and the senate almost unanimously
upon this war. No body Of men and
no body of women can resist the
verdict thus rendered by the great
majority Of the people Of this nation
without becoming rebels, outlaws,
and, in view Of the present stress Of
the nation, traitors.
A nation divided against itself
cannot stand. It must fall. And
If this nation fails, in it's ruins
will lie, blasted forever, the
most glorious hopes that ever
brought joy to the hearts of men.
1t is time that we should come to
a definite understanding. This
nation is trying to preserve the
rights and the liberties OF men;
not the rights and liberties Of the
rich and powerful, but the rights
and the liberties Of the common
people. We are trying to save
from destruction the sacred
rights of humanity for which our
forefathers fought and died.
And in this dark hour we are proud
that we have as our commander-in-
chief man who by the common con-
sent Of mankind, except our enemies, !
is the most dominant champion Of
human rights in the world. And the |
American people will not permit him |
to be insulted by the false, vicious !
and contemplate charge that he is |
the tool of graft or greed, or that he |
permitted this war to be brought |
upon US by the MOrgans, the Rookie |
fellers, the bankers, the capitalistic |
class, the munition makers, or the |
profiteers Of the nation.
Those whose ideas and feelings as |
to this war are opposed to the policy /
OF the BONefnm6nt-th small but |
egotistical minority who do not agree |
with the great mass Of the American
people in their determination to win
the war-this minority must yield to
the earnest, eloquent appeal Of the
President for unity Of action and
thought and purpose-they must sub
NIT Or they will be crushed by the
majestic power Of the nation which
will not tolerate traitors, no matter
under what name they may try to
hide their treason. American sons
are not going to allow their mothers
to be likened unto brood sows, and
American fathers and mothers are
not going to submit to having their
sons assigned to no more glorious
destiny than that Of fertilizer for
French soil.
The American people are not going
to stand idly by and see these boys
that are marching away to the front,
shot in the back by towards and
traitors. This nation is willing to
fight the enemy in front-she is will
Ing to fight the assassins of the air,
the pirates Of the sea, the masters of
the most brutal and diabolicaI saw
lgery which the world ever saw-this ,
nation is willing to fight all this, but ,
she will not consent to be stabbed in
the back, and would-be assassins
might as We'll realize that they must
5heathe their knives or submit to ex-