The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-05
Pictures Columbia
As Helpless.

Again she has Columbia helpless
Columbia speaking Of the blood
stained gold of any nation as accept
able, and America. helpless, bound,
shackled, says:
In the name of God, We nan, have
you no mercy! Why press the white
hot brand Of my own souls con-
demnation into my heart? Am l not
human like yourself. have I not eyes
TO see and ears to hear and reason
that cannot be smothered have l
not a soul that sees and feels and
knows the cursed needlessness of
The sufferings of mankind? Why add
your scorn to my shame, humiliation
and self contempt? The golden
chains Of international finances and
business make me a galley slave. l
am helpless"
Maybe the people Of this country
want that gospel preached to them.
Maybe it is good stuff for the people
of this country to get that sort Of
thing now in this hour of our ma
tons peril, but ] don't think so.
Well, l will tell you, If that is
the sort Of stuff the Socialist
party stands for, IL its gospel is
the gospel Of hate, and contempt
Of religion and charity, 1t has not
any place on the American soil
either in times OF war or times
of peace. The worst poison you
can instill in the hearts Of men
is a conscientious feeling that
they are being deprived of their
just earnings or their just deserts
by some invisible power. and the
whole theory Of the Socialists
and that type of people at the
present hour is that capitalism
is the sole instrument that
brought this war, and, as In the
statement of Debs in the paper
OF which she is part editor, the
banker is pictured as exempt
from war.
would not go so fully into these
things at this time IL il were not for
the remarkable presentation by the
defendant Of her cause. When l say
that she believes these things I am
speaking ii earnestly. ! do not think
Bhe is a hypocrite in regard to her
belief as to this capitalistic DONNA
tion. But the trouble about it is
that there is no foundation for it. 1t
Is an alteration. I realize that we
need reformers in this country; I
realize that eternal vigilance is the
price OF liberty" I realize that the
people must be led to give more at
tention to the affairs Of their gov
eminent in the state and the nation.
] know there is room for reformers
Of the right type.
But there is no room in this coun-
try for the reformer who cannot see
in the whole range Of vision in this
country one single thing to approve,
but everything to condemn. I list |
ened in the trial Of this case to the |
testimony of the witnesses for the |
defendant. Not one word did they |
say that at any stage of her speech |
she said anything about this good, |
old, United States; that she ever ex- |
pressed pride in its power, in its |
justice, or its right; that she ever |
paid a tribute to the American flag. |
The only reference she made to a |
consent to service In the army was |
when she said, IF they wanted to go |
to war let them go, and God bless /
them" but she said herself here up
on the witness stand that she ended
that statement, leaving it as a ques-
ton, as to whether or not the fertil-
ization Of the French soil by their
carcasses would not be the best use
thew could be nut to