Bisbee daily review., 1918-07-16

The meeting was presided over by Sam H. Kyle, city attorney.
 Judge Baker said:
 Fellow citizens:
 The Spirit of America
 The spirit that animates our coun- try in the titanic struggle now going on in Europe, is one of willing sacri- flee and heroic striving, coupled with a passionate conviction that our cause is just and righteous, and that we must and will win. It is incredible that for the first time in the annals of the world a great and powerful peo- pie has gone to war for humanity-for an abstract ideal, and against its own material interest. But, unbelievable as it is, it is true. America has gone to war for the purpose of cleaning up the world and ridding it of injustice and oppression and of Germanism for ever. We seek no reward of a ma terial nature We seek no place in the sun"-to use the German chan cellor's term-except the sun of lib- erty, and that we do not seek selfishly. but to share it with all the world. America is not waging war of vens- canoe, notwithstanding all the injuries and proyOcations we have received. We have lighted a fire to purify-not to burn at the stake. Wherever and whenever in the worlds history such a spirit-born of the strivings of the profoundest depth of national feelings has manifested itself, it has invari- ably been attended by victory. The pages oi history afford many proofs of this statement. Animated by love of country and of liberty and self gov ernment, and moved by spirit of he roic sacrifice. our forefathers fought the Revolutionary war, and won against overwhelming odds. And so it will be in this struggle.
 Democracy vs. Prussianism.
 One of the oldest and subtlest philO- sophies in the world teaches that the whole of history consists in the strug- gle between the principle of good and the principle of evil. It teaches that now one. now the other, is uppermost; but that as the good principle over comes the evil, or as the evil principle lovercomes the good, so mankind marches forward to freedom, or so it falls back into serfdom and slavery This great struggle between the good and the evil principle has taken the | form of a contest in this great war be tween democracy and prussianism, and that contest must be settled by the force of arms. If these two principles had anything in common, an adjust ment between them might possibly be reached, but each principle absolutely | excludes the other One or the other must conquer. As Abraham Lincoln said. A century ago. This nation can not exist half slave and half free and so it may be said today, This world can not exist half despotism and hail ! democracy." One or the other mus perish from the face of the eartn ! President Wilson very aptly put this thought in his speech Of July 4th. al Mount vernon: "There can be but one issue. The settlement must be final There can be no compromise. No half way decision would be tolerabie. Nc hallway decision is conceivable.
 Prussianism the Aggressor
 In the mad pride for its contempt foI | democracy. prussianism threw aoWH | the gauntlet to us. We accepted ,h' challenge. and now stand by the sid, of the other freedom-loving nations oI the world. giving our young strensti i and boundless resources to them Wht | have heroically borne the heat and bur den of the long and dreadiully exhaust ! ing struggle. yet stand unwearied i erect and resolute. To deceive th' | German peoplo and steel them to pa trioHc determination and sacrifice th' l Pmssian rulers affirmed at the besln ming of the war. and have kept re affirming ever since, with nauseatini