The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-15


! laborers idle, want and poverty in
thousands of homes. An edict that
said you may come out to the mid
die of the Atlantic and move round
all you please but you must not
touch those shores where in the past
you have had your chief export trade
An edict that found no Justification
in law or right, an edict which bold
| ly challenged us either to fight or
submit once for all to the domina-
ton of a foreign power. Yes it is a
war of defense it is costing us bill
lions in money and the lives of our
noblest young men to fight, but it
would have cost us billions in money
and the loss of honor and freedom
| and all that makes life worth living
not to fight.
More Than War For Defense.
But it is far more than a war of
elf-defense.
Happy are all free people too
strong to be dispossessed,'
| "'But blessed are those among ma
lions who dare to be strong for the
rest
Every true loyal American is
penitent today to think we were so
slow to awake and go to the relief
of those who were fighting our bat
tles so slow to see that the long bat
tie line between Switzerland and the
North sea of French and British were
defending not only their own liber-
ties but the liberties of the North
and South American republics AS
| today We think of those brave men
struggling against overwhelming
odds, laying down their lives for the
liberty of the world, our hearts are
: sincerely contrite that we were not
, with them then. 1t is fitting that we
remember these things as we honor
Private Campbell, who at his coun-
try's first call leaped with joy to the
standards of liberty. But hindsight
is better than foresight and we must
not condemn ourselves too severely
for what we were too ignorant or
too generous to believe of another.
But God hath commanded all men
everywhere to repent. There is no
excuse for any man being ignorant
longer of the purpose and designs of
Germany. Her designs have been
CLEARLY stated again and again by her
and philosophers. She does not de-
ny but boldly asserts by reason OF
her racial superiority her right and
purpose to dominate the nations.
"At the same moment We wakened
to the need of defending ourselves
we found we were fighting for liber-
ty, freedom and justice for the whole
world. We were fighting nation which
plainly asserted that small nations
had no rights which a strong nation
were in duty bound to respect In
fact that there was no such thing as
strong nation being duty bound.
Morality was for individuals and not
for nations. We were astoniShed to
find ourselves compelled to fight for
the ten commandments, for the fun
damental rights of nations. 1t was a
clear-cut clash between pagan and
Christian ideals. The war was thrust
upon the world by military despot-
ism. 1t was pagan in it's origin and
philosophy and religion in order to
sustain it had to be paganized. On
the other hand we found ourselves
thrust into the war by Providence,
chosen to task that by it's holy
splendor dazzled us. / do not mean
that we should boast of high and
exalted motives. 1t was thrust upon
us. Ye have not chosen me, but l
have chosen you and ordained you
that We should bring forth much
fruit While Prussianism recognizes
no law but her own selfish aggran-
dizment we found ourselves in the
battle line with no thought of selfish
aggrandizment, no thought of indem-
mites. pouring out money and blood
for justice and liberty for all. A
power above us has honored us with
this eXhalted service to mankind
For we are fighting for nothing for
ourselves that will not be an equal
benefit and blessing to mankind.
Did Not Want to Fight.
eve did not want to fight. We
, would rather have kept out and gone
on in our prosperous ways. But the
world was in confiagration. The
sparks flew our way and we were in
it. Then the vision. We began to see
, with the eyes of God. We marvel
that we were so slow to see. Why
. here was something big enough tc
, justify man in putting his life in
jeopardy. The rights of weak ma
lions were being trampled upon, what
, challenge to Knighthood An in
ternational outlaw and criminal must
, be subjugated. Would our youne
5 men respond? Or had we grown
sordid and selfish in our greed O
gain? Was chivalry dead? Our sons
and brothers have made answer:
Then say no more, the knights are
gone,
, Honor and Truth and Right live on
: And men to day would keep The
, bridge
l Horatius kept-from rocky ridge.
Heroic Youth would still fling down
( His horse, himself to save the tow
, Columbia calls
l Off with your hats and lift then
!, high,
: Our own, our sons are passing by
The soul made answer. 1t wa
3 an hour to try mems hearts. Tha
!, flag? My country? The cause O
freedom? Life is sweet, Is the caus
/ big enough to justify the hazard
: There may have been an hour il
f Gethsemane but the soul comes on
t triumphant ready with a cheer t
e make the supreme sacrifice. An
: with the conservation comes that ex
q haltat1on of spirit in finding some
thlng big enough to stake ones lif
. l.