The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-06-04
PATRIOTEERING.

! The following are excerpts from a recent
! speech of John Sharp Williams in the SEN
ate:
/ ''Now, Mr.. President, l am getting a lit
tie tired of this patroteering' business. I
love patriotism, but have been reading the
last two numbers of the Saturday Evening
Post and a couple of poems on patrioteer-
ing that have found there, and if any SEN
ator has not read them he ought to read
them. Men go out and exploit themselves
about 'meatless Tuesdays and 'wheatless
Thursdays and they seem to think they are
doing something very patriotic. The whole
cOnfederacy lived without wheat at all for
| don't know how long-about three years,
at least, in the coast and southwest depart
ment; | as boy in the confederacy did
not see anything made out of wheat from
the early part of 1862 until the surrender,
except now and then we would plant a lit
tie patch of wheat and grind it on corn
mill and sift it as best we could in the kitch-
en- for the purpose Of making Christmas and
birthday cakes.
what is the use of talking about the
'hardships' of the American people? You
have not put your front toe into the ante
room Of Mars. You have thus far done moth
ing but complain, and to complain again.
and to repeat complaints about the efforts of
those who as patriotic as you or | in at
tempting to do what they can to win the
war
at requires just two things to win war.
Presidential prOclamatons cannot do it 1t
takes men and guns and food and transpor-
tation; men and guns and food constituting
one side Of the proposition and transporta-
ton the other, When | say food | mean
for soldiers and sailors. The men and wo-
men at home will find food enough. No trou-
BILE about that.
Il am sometimes afflicted with the utmost
pessimism when I hear men talking about
lack of certain supplies to accompany SOL
dlers to France, when I hear men complain
ing of this and that, even that soldiers and
sailors had no sleeping cars to ride on when
beng transported to the point of duty
What you want is men in France-men
in France What you want to put them there
IS ships, and take along something that will
shoot. So far as the Southern people are
concerned they are acquainted with hard
ships and sacrifices. They certainly under
stand hardship, suffering, endurance, forti-
tude, standing to the bitter end so long as a
man could stand. The boys of the country
are ready to do their duty. They will put
up with hardships and not expect waff1es
or bucllwheat cakes for breakfast.
People suffering on account of the war!
Labor suffering! Labor never had as much
money in the life of the world here or any,
! IL
ey out of their cattle and corn and oats
and wheat and cotton and hogs since agri-
| culture came into existence, here or any
where else, as they are making now
There are employees of the government
suffering and bowling for an increase of
pay, all on account of the war Howlng
for an increase while Directing to work
ing eight hours a day-the dream of car
penters and operatives, while most senators
work not less than twelvel Everybody is
bowling for increased pay 'on account of the
war 1t is said prices are charged you for
mutton chop this big (indicating) that
would fit the market value of a lamb in q
! New York or Washington restaurant and
we are told it is all 'on account of the war
We have got to have negro women suffrage,
all on account of the war; we have to have
nationwide bone-dry prohibition, all on ac-
count of the war Such another verbal dis
play Of patriotism and such another lack
of real hardship or suffering or sacrifice
was never witnessed by any great people
engaged in a great war as is witnessed right
now in our own land.
where is the spirit Of the men that lived
and starved and froze with George Wash
ington at Valley Forge? Has it disappear
ed? Where is the spirit of the men who ate
rats and mice and mule meat at Vicksburg?
Has it gone? Where is the spirit of the men
who suffered at Petersburg, and even upon
the day before the surrender won the last
brilliant little skirmish of the war? Are their
sons degenerate?"