Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-08
GOVERNOR ASKS
We WIN BATTLE
At HOME FIRST
- Patriotism Not 10 Re Cioa'.
for Crime in Illinois While
He Il Chief.
EXPLORES LYNCHING BY MOB
- Notbipg Pleased Berlin Since
opening OF War as Collins
vile Episode.

ssTnrdav night when. al the En-
80 rink before crowd ~ 1900
asnple he GCp-ored the Collinsxille
irnch!ug. The governor declare l
,hst nothin- that has been done
s;rce the outbreak of the war
leased Berlin more than that &C.
ar il was an incident directly in
sise with one of the principles of
he Hohenzollorn rule. that the
aeople do not know how 70 govern
themselves
The governor SAID.
Even as We are meeting here
tonight. the greatest battle of all
t.me is being fought on the west
'front.'. a struggle which will il
sgcceeding centuries be referred
n as the most decisive battle ever
taught IN its influence upon civil
izstion. In this great struggle IL
$ fttiuS that our boys should be
fehtinE shoulder TO shoulder with
those Of our allies against the com
mon enemy. q Zoe who i the en-
env OF -eIi-iou. liberty. Of civil
;gation ana all that We hold serious
and sacred in our hearts And we
are TO help
1t has been difficult Tor US -
realize dhe seriousness Of this war
i seemed 5000 miles away. and
We considered L as someone else
fight. but now We are beginning 10
see il in its true perspective. and
i is not Vet TOO late TO TepeI its
hideous menace This gigantic
conflict. flaming round The world
is not 5000 miles away. il is not
someone else's war. it is very close
10 Us and * our very own. This
war is closer 10 our hearts and t
our hearthstones than has been
any war Of the past.
Your chairman referred 70 the
heroes OF the Civil war. let me sas
10 those veterans here tonight that
the darkesl hour of that struggle
when skies were black. all seemed
lost: when they were discouraged
and all but hopeless: let me say Il
hem thai the darkest hour then
was Tot as black as Is the hour
now. For ii that war, no matte:
which side won, we could nave haC
some kind Of a country LETT; fTag-
mentary, perhaps, below tn.
dreams OF our fathers, but a par
OF our country in which we couil
live in liberty. and over which ou'
flag might float. We would have
still had our homes and the in.
slienable right Of a free people Il
govern themselves.
This war involves every noo1
and corner Of cur country and o.
the world. If il goes against Il.
We shall not have d fragment o.
our country LEFT. We shall have
lost our country and our homes a:
We now know them. We shall have
lost all that We hold dear and III,
serious things IN our hearts vii
be destroyed. This is q war be
tween two great ideas, and the ell
gagemeut is general When it /,
over men VIII be either free Tor
eYermore. or viii be held undel
The iron heel Of q military despot
ism that vii rule the world.
II We Lose.
The German creed is nigh
makes right They know no 9th
e. and do not consider it thei
duty % keep their plighted word
This doctrine has been the Germa:
teachings Of the last 80 years; Tn
devastation OF Belgium and @
northern France has proven tha
world domination has been tn
deep ana settled purpose OF tn
greatest military power that tn
world has ever known. This wa
g not 5000 miles away. Il is
question OF whether men viii sla 81
and toll that a few may be pros
porous and wealthy If we lose
our old mode Of life and our ibert
viii be gone We will. have u
read what We are peHnitted 10 read
We Will have TO believe what re
1gion We are permitted to believe
or none al all We will have &
I'll our fields under the direction
Of an Official military subaltern
We will have 10 alter the very mod
q cur daily life 70 conform witt
rules laid down by the state.
German poets and writer's G
me lsst 80 years have taught tina
christian virtues are extinct: tina
iaey were the invention Of veal
men as protection against tn
strong. They have prea ched tn
ooctripe Of the survival OF the A.
lest and that force and force alOn'
vii rule men successfully in tht
l1ture- Their program Ot fright
iQ!ness Was adopted and becam'
ne doctrine OF The Prussian state
laese German teachers taught tina
mat German treaties might b.
treated as scrap OF paper if nee
essary: thar German kultur SHOULD
nominate the universe; and il wa!
lon Bernhard who said that viii
Germany Il was a question o
ellher world domination or down
fall
German Purpose Revealed.
We We're told that the teaching
y these men did NOT represent tn
sentiment Of the German state, bu
We we're misled. We see plainl.
aow that the German autocrac.
7 ae1 planned TO conquer the world
america was interested at tn
s1srt, but many of us thought tina
~ war was far away, that ]
"ould never come over here, am
.iLet It wes a struggle that didn'
OAcern Us These were cOmmo'
-Aolghts. Bur since then, Ger
many has revealed her true sci
old What would happen if she wins
nave only 10 consider Russia
a,esiI,inany opened peace negotiation
VIM thai country by announcing
- me world that their stand Wa
n 'e o. no huuexatiOus and no in
hlties' Since then the miIitar,
soity has thrown or It's mask ant
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