The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-02-25
SPLENDID LECTURE
On World War Delivered by Rev. j.
Russell Crawford at First Pres.
byterlan Church ON Fri.
day Night.


Says President Wilson: THE Su-
preme Test OF the Nation has come.
We must Speak, Act and Serve To-
gether!"
When the great vessel at sea Is
within the danger zone, the man on
the bridge never sleeps, ever on the
alert, expectant, watchful! His atti-
tude, his very expression is eagerly
watched, his words are commands and
earge.ly cbeyed Not one on the YES
sci would be indifferent when the man
from the bridge cries Danger
Ahead!' There is one, who by the
voice of one hundred millions of peo-
pie has been placed on the Bridge OF
the Shin CT State. We have carefully
watched his attitude through months
of reril, we have listened to his voice
when 1t rang clear and hopeful. We
took courage as the old ship of State
plunged further forward in its course
of destiny. Then, the direction was
suddenly changed, trying delays, and
we knew the waters were growing
dangerous, and when at last the pa
tient, weather-beaten pilot cried out,
"The Supreme Test of the old Ship
has come. We must now speak, act
and. serve together" it was high
time for the one hundred millions OF
passengers, with cargo of priceless
national wealth, to take notice.
It would scarcely be profitable to
take my time or yours to tell why we
are at war with Germany. You don't
usually hold the investigation as to
the cause of the fire until after the
house burns; you don't hold the post
mortem until after the man dies; you
don't ask the man who is drowning
how he happened to fall into the wat
err. We are in war, the blood
lest, the most disastrous, the
most far-reaching in its aims and
purposes that the world ever knew
it has no parallel in all human his
tory. Suffice it to say, that, so as the
United States is concerned, 1t is a
Just war, a war Of righteousness. To
quote ex-President Taft, I'VE are
fighting in the most sacred cause
since the dawn Of history" There
can be no time now for REIMBURSEMENT
of conditions-even il conscious that
we were altogether in the wrong
There stands our enemy, implacable,
INSCRIPTIONS, remorseless! We are
being backed against our own hearth
stones-while our flag has gone to the
front-it flies today over the firing
line. Americas illimitable resources
are being laid upon the alter of sacri-
fee. We are just beginning to feel
how immense is the strength she Is
gathering for the conflict. We are
now between the Devil Of Prussian
hostilities and the deep blue sea OF
oblivion for our boosted Democracy
To stop now to debate the issues in
volved, is to be lost. The question
now turns on your patriotism-your
Americanism. II you say "My wages
before my country" or "My balance
sheet before my country" or my
creed or political party before my
country" YOU are not an American
America is in neril. The wisest and
best men of the natinn declare thi'
tn be the outstanding fact Of the hour
No other question Is worthy Of con
sideraton until il il settled whether
democracy is to live or perish from
the face CT the earth. Democracy
hangs by thread. Its existence de-
ponds on whether eve sneak, act and
serve together" or not Is 1t possible
that fatal INDIGESTION is still gnawing
at your vitals-nlaguing you with the
Question, as 1t ever right to fight?''
Just suppose with me-that | am
standing by. every inch pacifist-as
] claim TO be--and there comes along
a brute bully who begins an unpro-
voked deadly attack on the helpless
and defenseless children Of the street
makes his infamous assault on wo-
manhood, desecrates and wrecks ev-
erything that ] have held holy and
sacred through the years - not to
strike to the death, II need be, even
nj the hazard NJ nv own life auch an