The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-05-24
Should Give Freely.

amongst us who have forgotten tnat'
If they ever saw it.
Should Give Freely
"And your relation to the Red Cross
is one Of the relations which Will re-
live you of the stigma. You cant
There is a law of congress against ac-
the United States; it won't accept II.
give anything to the government OIL
cepting even services without pay
The only thing that the government
will accept is q loan, and duties per
formed; but it is q great deal better 10
give than to lend or to pay, and your
great channel for giving is the Amefl-
can Red Cross.
''DOWn in your hearts you can't take
very much SatifactiOn, in the last
analysis, in lending money to the gov
eminent of the United States, because
the interest which you draw will burn
your pockets it is commercial trans
action, and some men have even dared
to cavil at the rate of interest, not
knowing the incidental commentary
that constitute upon. their attitude.
NO Favors to Come.
"But when you give, something OF
your heart, something Of your soul,
something Of yourself goes with the
gift, particularly when it is given In
such form that it never can come back
by way of direct benefit to yourself.
You know there is the Ole cynical deli
ya1x
pectation Of favOrs to come
well, there is 10 expectation OF
favors to come in this kind of giving.
These things are bestowed in order
that the world may be a filter place to
live in, that men may be succOred, that
homes may be restored, that suffering
may be relieved, that the face of the
earth may have the blight of destruc-
ton taken away from it, and that
wherever force goes. there shall go
mercy and helpfulness.
,"And when you give, give absolutely
all that you can spare, and don't con-
slider yourself liberal in the giving.
"And think what we have here! We
call it the American Red Cross, but 1t
is merely Il branch of a great inter-
national organization which is not
only recognized by the statutes of each
of the civilized governments Of the
world, but it is recognized by inter
national agreement and treaty as the
recognized and accepted Instrumental
ity of mercy and succOr. And one of
the deepest stains that rests upon the
reputation of the German army is
that they have not respected the Red
Cross.
Members of Great Fraternity.
"That goes to the root of the mat
ter. They have not respected the in
strumentality they themselves partici-
pated in setting up as the thing which
no man was to touch, because it was
the expression Of common humanity.
We are members, by being members
of the American Red Cross. of great
fraternity and comradeship which ex-
tends all over the world, and this cross
which these women bore today is an
emblem of Christianity itself.
'I heard a story told the other day
that was ridiculous, but it is worth
repeating because it contains the germ
of truth. An Indian was enlisted in
the army. He returned to the reserva-
ton on furlOugh. He was asked
what he thought of it. He. said: NO
much good; too much salute; not much
going back? Yes
"'Well, do you know what you are
fighting for?' Yes, me know; fight
to make whole damn world democratic
party
No Party Purpose.
"He had evidently misunderstood
some innocent sentence of my own.
But, after all, although there is no
party purpose in it, he got it right as
far as the word party to make the
whole world democratic in the sense
of community of interest and of pur-
pose, and if you ladies and gentlemen
could read some of the touching dis
matches which come through official
channels, for even through these chan
! nels there come voices of humanity
that are infinitely pathetic, if you could
| catch some of these voices that speak
the utter longing of oppressed and
helpless peoples all over the world to
| hear something like the Battle Hymn
/ of the Republic to hear the feet of
| the great hosts of liberty going to set
| them free. to set their minds free, set
| their lives free, set their children free.
| Won would know what comes into the
| heart of those who are trying to con-
| tribute all the brains and power they
have to this great enterprise of liberty.
| s'I summon you to the comradeship,
| I summon you tC say how much and
| how sincerely and how unselfishly,
| Won sustain the heart of the world
Il Rr;f;ch neSfroxer Ct,nk