The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-05-03
AMERICAN OR TRAITOR, WHICH

Liberty Bond and has not done SO,
he is q dirty coward"
Such was the scathing denuncia-
ton shot at the audience in the court
room last Friday evening by Attor-
ney Lincoln H. Titus during the
course of his splendid address. 1t
sounds little harsh, but these are
harsh and strenuous moments. This
is the most critical period in the en-
tire history of the United States. 1t
is no time for soft words or Pink
Tea conversation. Might as well
call IAN ace an ace" and Spade
spade" No words i'm the English
language are too strong to apply to
the mar who now deliberately refuses
to stand by his country and his flag
to the limit. There is no longer any
middle ground. Every man is either
a loyal American citizen, or he is an
aid to the Kaiser. Some of the luke
warm passive individuals who do not
awaken to the necessities Of the hour,
probably do not realize that they are
giving aid to the enemy, but they are
just the same.
Another class of individuals who
come mighty near the dividing line
between loyal Americans and enemy
sympathizers are those who are
abundantly able; have big farms all
paid for, or plenty of money in the
bank, and subscribe for only $4,000
or $4,000 worth of liberty bonds.
Such people, and there are many of
them, are not true patriots. Better
give our All to help win this war,
than to be forced to give it to the
German government, which we will
have to do, if we lose in this great
world struggle.
The following clipped from the
editorial columns Of the Saturday
Evening Post tells the story. Right
now is the time for every citizen to
ask himself in all seriousness this
question, Gam l true American or
am l traitor to my flag and to my
country?"
"The law says merely that you
must not give aid and comfort to the
enemy. Good conscience says that
you must give aid and comfort to
your own country. One test of a
mans attitude is this Liberty Loan.
There is the pro-German at heart,
who wants the Kaiser to win and
obstructs this country by the mean
treason Of passive resistance-doing
all the harm he can without taking
a risk. There are willful dead beats,
who deliberately choose to sponge on
their neighbors' by taking all the adj
vantages the United States offers
them and Sinking as many obi
cations as the law permits. Others,
not pro-German or willful dead beats,
are merely lazy and lukewarm. They
could raise a hundred dollars, or
many multiples of hundred dollars
to be repaid out of their income in
the next six months-if the alter
native were some personal calamity;
if default means that they were
going into bankruptcy or into Jail.
But they do not make an exigent
personal problem of this Liberty
Loan They think other people will
subscribe; the banks will furnish the
money. Let George do it. All these
people come to exactly the same
thing. Indifference and selfishness
are exactly as serviceable allies of
the Kaiser as the man who secretly
chuckles over the weekly U-boat toll.
Every inhabitant of this country who
does not do his utmost to put his in
come at the service of the Govern
ment is playing Hindenburg's game"
s. 3 sl 3 p p p p
The splendid showing which Van
Buren, County has made in the Third
Liberty Loan totals is a fine tribute
to the rank and file of the county
the patriotic men women and children
who have so periodically and loyalty
responded to the country's call fol
help. Every bond owner is entitled