Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-01-09
GERMAN CALLS ON HIS COUNTRYMEN TO DUST KAISER

lected after men of honor have refused
their services. In the spring of 1914,
by an overwhelming vote of lack of
confidence, the reichstag showed its
distrust of the only man whose sigma
ture the emperor needed for mobili-
cation and declaration of war. Beth
mann-HOlweg. his imperial chancellor.
In no modern civilized state would II
be possible for minister TO remain in
Office after being openly branded by
the representatives of the people as IN
fit, but in Germany any criminal may
become and remain imperial chancellor
at the viii of the emperor alone. Pun
ishment has already found him out. An
other lackey has been promoted to
lackey-in-chief. without consultation
with the German people and their rep
resentatives.
This murderer is the German EN-.
peror with his aecompIlces; but not
the German people, the poor people
defrsuded and exploited by their gov.
eminent; not the poor soldiers. who
are driven 10 slaughter by these knaves
under the iron shackles of military law.
like the miserable galley slaves of old.
Comrades, how long is II your wish
to put up with this? When win you
rouse yourselves? When Will you take
arms on the side on which every man
OF honor must now fight on the side of
humanity and civilization against this
frs no NJ S1a
our poor, down-trodden, famIshed peo-
pie from its tyrants. and again estab-
liSh justice, liberty. morality, reason
and civilization In Germany
JOIN FIGHT ON
SIDE OF JUSTICE.
Why not come over tO fight on the
side of justice. of truth, of freedom. all
of you; the side on which all civilized
nations as well as the noblest and
most far-seeing of your own people
have taken their stand?
l know the reasons which hold you
back:
l. Your ignorance; the false doc
trines with which you were inoculated
in your school days in all matters of
history, civil life and politics: the pre-
tentlous lies of the German press,
whipped into line by military Ciicta.
tor your implicit confidence i'm your
"GOd-given" leaders.
>. Fear Of your masters. especially
Of the officers. But these hangmen OF
the kaiser are cowardly and hide them.
selves in time OF danger behind cover
Shoot them down like mad dogs IL they
get in your way. Rather that they
die than the hundreds Of thousands of
honest, industrious fathers of fami-
lies whom they have already hunted
into the Jaws Of death: a hunt which
day by day goes on.
8. Fear Of committing an unpardon.
able crime. and of being unable TO re-
turn home even II you escape punish
ment. BUT THE LAWS BY WHICH
THE MuRDERERs MAINTAIN
THEIR POWER AND MAKE YOU
TRUCKING SLAVES SHALL BE
BLoTTED OUT BEFORE THE WAR
is AT AN END, AND YOU WILL BE
JOYFULLY WELCOMED HOME
WITHOUT DISGRACE. AND MORE
THAN THAT, WITH THE HIGHEST
HONOR, AS TRUE HEROES AND
LlBERAToRs OF YOUR COUNTRY
d. Fear Of injuring our fatheriand II
you go over TO the French and Eng.
lish. and more than that If you fight
on their side, which is q matter for
your own choice
Comrades. I pledge you by all that
we hold holy. am son Of the Ger
man people. ! love them with every
fiber of my being. more than ever a
HohenZollern loved them: and the
honor and welfare of my fatherland
stand above all else, and are the only