The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-06-07
81 cannot understand the point of view

in my veins. When peaceful sailing
craft carrying relief to starving womer
and children and hospital ships carrying
nurses and the wounded are sent to the
bottom without compunction and with
out warning, is it not time to call Halt
in the name of outraged human nature
That is not waging war; 1t is murder
1mps of hell seeing such sight and MOI
to stop it would be disowned by theil
own kind.
THAT men made in the image of theil
Maker and supposed to reflect His good
ness and mercy can practice such hor-
rors or defend them is to me utterly in
comprehensive. The six words-the
United States are at war-may be tragic
but, in the circumstances, the six words
the United States are at peace-woul6
be uncomfortable disgrace and cowardice
So the flag is unfurled to justify what II
stands for at home and abroad-liberty
and humanity. 1t must not be lowered
in defeat.
1T must be borne aloft to triumphant
victory. Our very life and what we hold
most dear are at stake. Hence we must
all do our bit and carry our burden. We
can all help though we can not all bear
arms. They serve the least who Sulk the
most and marry the quickest. Be not
slackers. They serve the best who dc
what they can with willing hearts and
ready hands though ere so little. It's
the will that makes men free.
1.-The revolutionary period had its paci-
fists whose gloomy forebodings cast deer
shadows over the land. They, sleep in
unhallowed graves, cursed like the barren
fig tree. And our martyred Lincoln,
without whom we should be a divided
country, was hampered quite as much by
the timid ones of his day as by many
enemy battalions. Their feeble descend
ants of today are crying for peace at any
price when there is no peace and will be
no peace till justice shall again rule where
brute force is now enthroned.
"As for myself, my mind is clear. M.
sense of duty and of right speak only
one language. 1 love the land of my
birth, but I love America more. America
has done much for me. Here have lived
for nearly half a century and prospercd
as i could ret have lived and prospered
across the sea whence 1 came. 1 do not
wish to return there. Here 1 shall spend
the remainder OF my days, die and lie
buried. This is now my country, it's flag
is my flag and it's people are my people
May my tongue cIeave to my mouth and
my hand drop limp at my side should
1 utter one word of disloyalty against
my adopted country or do aught to harm
it by word or deed. What are kings
and princes and the pomp and circum-
stance of royalty as compared with being
a citizen of this land of opportunity and
freedom?
Certain hopes we call golden. They
are to make life more pleasant and this
world of ours beautiful place to live in
for us ALL In its great essentials human
life may be reduced to good government
favorable, social and industrial conditions
and sweet and generous religious toler-
ance. Where else can these blessings be
as abundantly had and enjoyed by all as
in these United States of ours?
IF any one there be who do not think
that American ideals and rights are
worth fighting for, as Washington and
our fathers fought for them. that they
7 -.
his compatriots defended them, and that
they are not worth upholding, as the
president and congress are now upholding
them, if any such there be, let him GO
back to his emperor or his king. He is
sadly out of place here. This is no time
for any divided allegiance. This is no
time for part American and part some
thing else. This is no time for pro this
or pro that, but America first, last and
all the time"
of the real reason for our being in this
war: We are not figting to avenge any
wrongs done. damnable as many of those
wrongs have been, but we are fighting to
the future, the autocratic form of govern
ment of Germany. 1t is a life and death
grapple between two Numerically OPP
posed ideals of government which cannot
for long exist together side by side. One
must go down, the other one will survive.
Is it not wise then to fight it out now
that we have the assistance of twenty
other nations rather than postpone the
issue till some future day when we may
have to fight alone? Were it not for Eng
lands navy and the bravery of the
French at the Marine we should even now
be in vassalage to the imperial German
government, taking our orders from Ber-
lin. Our ships should not dare venture
from our shores. Cur flag would droop in
shame. Therefore it is imperative that
We be united. that we prepare for long
and costly war with no thought of ulti-
mate defeat We must and we shall play
a big and decisive role in this world
conflict 1--WE, here in America, hold in
our hands the hope of the world, the fate
of the coming years; and shame and dis
grace will be ours if in our eyes the light
of high resolve is dimmed, if we trail in
the dust the golden hopes of men," Well
Said Theodore Roosevelt.
Consider the issue then. Is it not worth
our best efforts and the most heroic sac
rifice in men and means? We all know
that we have the best government with
out exception. In fact, it is so good that,
until the coming of wheatless, meatleSs
and fuelless days, many of us hardly
realized that we were governed at all.
We ate what we pleased and did about
what we pleased.
Now, by way of contrast, what sort of
government does Germany have? An alb
solute irresponsible deSpotism. AT its
head stands the kaiser who grandiosely
says: 1--WE take our crown from God
alone, and to, God alone are we responsible
in the fulfillment of duty" And the
Huns aid vandals everywhere, not know
ing what liberty is, greedily devour that
sentiment as if it were mamma dropped
from heaven. Can it be that the good
God sanctions rape, rapine and murder
and Justifies every crime, however re-
voting, when done in the name of the
state which can do no wrong? Is it
conceivable that He who said-"suffer the
little children to come unto me"-has
no regard for childhood, for womanhood
Listen, You men. listen to the groans of
ravaged Belgium, to the cries of
crucified Armenia and to the wailings of
Hun swept Serbia and then answer me
need be, to die to make impossible a
AGAINST the humans raee THas is what
we mean by making the world safe for
democracy. Speaking for myself would
rather die a hundred times than have
my dear ones fall into the hands of an
invader who is without mercy and without
conscience. I would, so help me Cod
Scratch the thin veneer called kultur
and you find raw cruelty and barbarism
of the most hideous kind. Prod beneath
the surface of American idealism and you
will find it bedded in justice and hui
mainly, Which do you prefer-Prussian
kul;url or American idealism? Which
shall rule the world-the cannons OF
Krupp or the spirit of Christi, Stand
by America in this crisis, I say, your
country and mine. Stand by the red
white and blue, your flag and my flag
Stand by the grand us. A. It's the
best land the sun ever shone on. But
to preserve it now, we must fight and
save and save and fight Germany is
reaching for our jugular vein to cut it
If we don't get the Huns, the Huns will
get us. If we don't do them, they will
do US. Remember that and do what yoI
can to win the war.