The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-05
WAS A STIRRING SCENE

cluded Some Good
Advice.
The scene when the ninety-five
youths of twenty-one years who had
been called to the colors to win the
world war first assembled formally
at o'clock yesterday afternoon was
one to be long remembered.
The Elks lodge room is very
large one, and the young men lined
it's four sides solidly and two deep
along one long wall, sitting in the
comfortable chairs of the lodge.
There was perfect silence, and
around the door both inside and out
side were crowded a score and more
of the mothers and fathers, sisters
and brothers of the new soldiers.
Secretary A. P. Meyer, of the Lee
county exemption board. sat at the
desk of the secretary of the EiAS
lodge, and John c. Scott, chairman
of the board, was all over the large
hall as occasion demanded.
Some of you are going home to-
night, but ! want to know how many
of you will stay at the hotel, 50
can tell the hotel manager at. once"
was the very first words of Chairman
Scott. 1t turned out that forty-sK OF
them were to be the guests of their
Uncle Samuel at one of the finest
hotels in the middle west the night
before they began sleeping in bar
racks.
Sheriff Scott's Sincere Sermon.
Chairman Scott then began what he
evidently intended to be set speech,
but it turned out to be much more and
better than that.
1t sounded like the wise talk OF an
experienced father to his favorite son
about to leave home, and no father
or mother could talk more effectively
or more wisely than did Chairman
Scott He soon fell into converse
tional tone, but he was always en-
phatic and thoroughly convincing as
to his earnestness and sincerity.
He started to talk on the platform
OF one end of the room. but soon was
walking all over the floor. talking
earnestly and preaching strong SCI
mon for morality and right living,
although probably he will be amazed
to hear it compared to sermon.
"This is the first time" he began,
Gin the history of America, or any
other nation, when boys just twenty
one have been sent to war in body
like this.
The Mothers and the Boys.
you are coming back. but my
heart goes out to your mothers, your
fathers and to you The question
remains unanswered why men OF
high intelligence, of an intelligent
people, must engage in wars.
1--WE are not a fighting nation with
a chip on our shoulder, but by
heaven! when they kill our women
and children and refuse IL stop their
murders of the defenseless, we have
spunk enough to wipe them off the
earth.
Il know you'll make good, and
whenever you get to France, we here
at home will be doing our part and
will be back of you. Some others of
us would like to go, too, but age
makes that impossible
Life is sweet, they say, but life is
not sweet unless We get into the
sweet part of it, and we have not
sweetness unless we have done our
duty as you boys are doing it.
Some Good Advice.
II want to ask one favor of you
ahead of every other. Write to your
mother regularly | never let boy
go to the war without insisting that
he write to his mother as often as
possible"
Chairman Scott then gave some OK
plicit and forceful advice about per-
sonal habits and behavior, insisting
that the large body of fine young
men should not be chagrined by the
presence of a single man acting like
a roughneck or drinking liquor, and
backed this up with some orders and
remarks about what would happen tn
delinQuents.
He advised them to attend TO the
matter of arranging for any Deepen
dents and to take out the insurance
as soon as they reached the canton
ment, and gave some good advice
about their attitude toward their Off |
GERS in the army.
The Opportunity for All.
There's no telling how high some
of you may CO. he said, before the
war ends. Last May we marched TO
the train with boy starting just
like you, and yesterday we escorted
that same boy to the train again and
he was wearing the uniform of a
lieutenant
He asserted strongly that the selec-
tive draft men are as worthy OF.
honor as the volunteers, and that
nothing is more creditable than being
a selected soldier under the American
flag.
Nov, you folks at home that don't
90 To war" Chairman Scott exclain-
cd looked toward the group of people
in and around the door Look over
the faces of these boys and say
whether you are going to throw a
stone in their way. Ask the breeders