Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-02-26

ueDer allies" 1t offered every variety
of opportunity for prejudice, and it
seemed alright to most people then too
and then a few things happened
and we woke up. And now we are in
this war as matter of self-prOtec-
tiOl, with only one thing to dO-stand
by the Government. We must be
, either whole heartedly loyal, or open
| ly disloyal-z-there isn't any chance of
anyone to be decorated with an Iron
| Cross, merely for whispering treason,
more schrecklichkeit will be demanded
| than that-there may be some respect
| for the man who stands up for his
country, its principles and its Flag,
but for quaking disloyalty there can
be only whitening contempt more
| lasting and bitter from the enemy be-
cause he banked on such reasonable
disloyalty for greater returns.
If l were a Sin Feiner and | so hat
ed the red coat through my love for
Ireland that l could not give to the
Stars and Stripes the loyalty now de-
manded because the United States is
an Ally of Great Britain, I'd sneak
back to Ireland, watch my chance and
shoot the British Lion in the back
and then take my medicine without
writing any poetry about it,
If | were Norwegian and was dis
loyal and disgruntled because indis-
criminate shipments in export were
not permitted to Norway to prevent
their distribution and aid and comfort
to the Central Powers, I'd work my
way back to Norway and deny that |
ever foreswOre allegiance to the King.
IL | were German-and don't let us
forget that there were never more
than two reasons why people left their
native land and came to America.
either because of the fuller opportun-
/ ity and greater freedom, or because it
was necessary to make a hurried get
away. If, because of the fuller oppor-
tunity and greater freedom, is not
whole-hearted loyalty the only return
that can and should be made? You
were welcomed with open arms-this
is your hOme-your children are born
here-their's is the opportunity equal
to every other boy and girl-all that
they are-all that you ever hope them
to be is centered here, and theirs is
the Flag to which you how unreserv-
edly owe allegiance. The memories of
your childhood home may rent your
heartstrings, but every war has given
thousands the same painful expert
ence-you must do it, tho in sorrow
and regret-yourS is not near the pang
or every mother in this land who sees
her boy march on, that this land which
was for you the Land of Promise may
continue a Land of the Free and the
Home for the Oppressed If you can
not give the loyalty now demanded.
don't allow yourself to be interned-
that's lodging the issue and only saw
ing your skin; frankly and boldly as
becomes a man of firm convictions.
go back and serve the kaiser in the
first line trenches and stop a bullet for
worthier man.
We don't want you to go-you have
been our friend and neighbor - we
have sympathized in your sorrows and
gloried in your success and many
Vlrtues-we know how you feel-but
this is crisis-there are no more
natlonalltieS or hyphens here - the
more than hundred million of our
people have separated into lust two
groups-one great overmastering,m mass
OF loyal Americans ready to do and
give their all that this Nation shall
not perish, and, a small-for the time
being annoying-disloyal, reasonable
group for which this Country is too
small and whose course of action will
be lndelibly craven on the tablet of
tlme and whose sins will be visited
upon their descendants for genera
| tlons. Even the devil hates, tho he
may welcome treaSon-"for by that
sin, fell angels" Not even turning
every democracy and autocracy into
a mobocracy would cannonize Judas
lscariot as Saint or make Benedict
Arnold a worthy example to follow.
Walk up the street with me. and let
me point out to you the homes of men,
who, like you, were either born on
| foreign soil or deScendent of the
| hardy pioneers, who came because
to them this was the land of oppor-
| tunity-let me show you the Service
Flags in the windows-some have two
stars-the mother and the fathers
| hearts are as tender as yours-they
had to rend and sever all ties OF
ancestry as completely as must you.
when the choice had to be made for
America and human righteousness.
| Go with me to the Court House and
! follow the names engrosSed on our
| Honor LiSt-the boys who have gone
that you and l may turn over To those
who are to come, untarnished and I'M
! defiled, the heritage bequeathed by
the fathers of this Republic and main
! tanned by the blood of heroes. Does
not that Honor List impress you? Dc
you marvel at the large number OF
foreign names? No they are not
foreigners-every one is an American
boy, knowing but one Country and
serving but one Flag-Aye, and ready
to die for all it represents, and glory
IN the sacrifice. In comparison tC
this, what have you and l to Offer
for the privileges we have enjoyed
and in the duty we owe to those who
come after us, that we may render
4 honorable account of our stewardship
Can there be anything else but un
Swerving wholehearted loyalty now
Must not everything subordinate Il
the one dominating determination
Win the war at whatever cost.
Part of that cost may require suS
pension of political party politics. On
the one essential issue-Wm the Wa
/ the republican and democrati,
= parties are in agreement. There ma,
: be minor differences as to the detail
= of the conduct of the war. and tina
any salaried federal Joa shall go to
. democrat, and the dollar a year ex
5 pert job to the republican, but thoS
} are minor considerations, and tn
same conditions would exist if tn
: political situation were reversed. Blu
S aside from the overshadowing issu
. of Win the War il would be Difficult
1 for any political statesman, graduate
from the University of Direct Prima
4 ~, to flare forth now a declaratio
{ of party principles that will, afte
r the war, mark the dividing line be
A tween the republican and democrati
h parties. However, what we do knoI
S now is, with the only possible classi
n fieation-Loyalty. or Disloyalty-ths
+ where there is the least doubt of a
v overwhelming loyal sentiment, re
/ Dnhliran md