The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-03-14
PATRIOTIC SERMON
By Rev. w. R. Scott, at the dwelling
of a Service Flag.
THE CAUSE OF THE GREAT WAR.
2 Timothy, a, Part Of 7th verse.
have fought good FIGHT, ',ss

l :.
2 Timothy, 4. Part Of 7th verse.
II have fought good fight. -
These are words uttered by the
Apostle Paul at the close Of long
and useful life. In like manner each
true American patriot, taking part in
the present war, will be able to say
at its close Il have fought a good
fight. = have fought for great
and worthy cause.
Listen to the admirable way in
which our president, Woodrow Wilson,
stated this fact in his recent mes
sage to the farmers of the United
States, when he said:
We are as nation in the pies
ence Of great task which demands
supreme sacrifice and endeavor CT
every, one of us. We can give every.
thing that is needed with the greater
willingness and even satisfaction be-
cause the object of the war in which
we are engaged is the greatest that
free men have ever undertaken. 1t
is to prevent the life Of the world
from being determined and the for
tunes of men everywhere affected, by
small groups of military masters who
seek their own interest and the selfish
domination throughout the world, of
the governments they unhappily for
tho moment oorfrol
You will not need to be convinced
that it was necessary for u.s. as free
people, to take part in this war. 1t
has raised it's evil hand against us.
The rulers of Germany had sought to
exercise their power in such way
as to shut off our economic life so far
as our intercourse with Europe was
concerned, and to confine our people
within the western hemisphere, while
they accomplished purposes which
would have permanently impaired and
impeded every process of our national
life, and have put the fortunes of A.,
merica at the mercy of the imperial
government of Germany. This was
no threat 1t had become a reality.
Their hand of violence had been laid
upon our own people, and our own
proper ty in fragrant violation not only
of justice, but of. the well recognized
and long standing covenants of inter-
national law and treaty. We are
fighting, therefore, as truly for the
liberty of government of the
United States as if, the war of our
own revolution had to be fought over
again and every man in the United
States must know by this time that
the whole future fortune lies in the
balance. Our national life and our
whole economic development will pass
under the sinister influences Of for
eign control if we do not win
In perfect harmony with this are
the words of Elk President Theodore
Roosevelt who says: "Only the over
throw of the brutal and unscrupu-
lous militarism of the Prussianized
Germany of the Hohenzollerns will
make this world safe either for the
United States or for democracy.
With this agrees also the opinion
of the well known British statesman,
A. j. Balfour, who says: A crisis
has been reached when the whole of
civilization must rise up and voice it's
appeal for the preservation of human
liberty
The United States then, is fighting
for the continuance of civil liberty IN
the world, and for the overthrow of
that autocracy which is now ambi-
tious to rule the world.
1t is said that in the early days of
the war the kaiser stayed with Baron
Riffard who had beautiful home
near the Rhine where there was then
a large number of reserve troops.
The kaiser with his attendants arrived
at the baron's house on Saturday m.
tending to stay with him until the
following Tuesday. The baron had a
private chapel attached to his home,
where the kaiser attended church SER
vices on Sunday morning. The preach
er was the pastor of small local
church. His name was Brumer, and
he had had distinguished career at
Bonn University; he was a tall thin,
delicate looking man, with q very
PALE face and dark eyes. He began
his sermon by saying that he felt it
to be his duty to speak plainly about
the war. statement that caused the
kaiser to glance sharply at him, and
that made his host, Baron R;Ga--!a;,