The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-12


shooting off your MOUTH"
amount Of money; 1t was heinou
crime to send millions Of men to NEE
death upon foreign field merely Il
uphold an ideal.
One night, standing at the fringe o
crowd that was listening attentivel!
to Notwithstanding man who
stood on a wooden box. Corwin heard
the principles Of the Socialist Party
expounded. Until now, Corwin had
considered the Socialists rattle
Drained radicals intent upon the dis
memberment Of the Government. But
by the time the man had finished Cor
win felt there was some virtue in the
Socialist platform, after all.
He was astonished that he should
admit II, but the man had created an
impression upon him. The appeal OF
lie orator had been made to the pas
sions. to the elemental in man which
Is irritated by all authority. Wars
were criminal, the orator said; the
solution Of the orld.difficulty was the
adoption of the doctrine Of "the broth
erhood OF man" A draft was immi'
nent the orator said; and he advised
all men to resist ito the point oil
revolution, II necessary.
Also, the orator had something to
say about bonds. They, too, were
evil There could be no war II the
people refused to finance it. The rich
| men Of the country were behind it all
the poor did not want war-the!
would not have 1t.
At this point in the orators speecf
there came an interruption. A sin
envy, strong.faced man who stood neal
Corwin raised his voice sneeringly:
BAH" he yelled at the orator
, how much does the Kaiser pay YOU
, for shooting off your MOUTH
There was a laugh, some Kisses, ant
some applause for the interrupter
Then suddenly, the crowd began t
move. There were shouts. hoarse in
= precautions, blows.
In an instant turmoil reigned. Tn
= crowd became a huge blot animate
. by swinging arms, and articulate wit
!, curses and Infatuated yells. Corwi
. saw the interrupter, grim smile o
!, his face, drive into the press, swing
ing his arms like fails. He saw me
20 down under the mans blows; an
as Corwin ran for position Of safet
u he mentally remarked that the EXPIRE
7 sion OF the mans face was much lik
that which had been upon the face
e his stenographer when she had tol
u him: Because America is America!
y He OWNED that the fighting instinct
y the stenographer was as strong
d that which had driven the stron
u, faced man to grimly attack the frient
~ Of the orator.
However, this incident strengthent
y Corwin's conviction that the COUNT
- did not want war. And when from b
" position Of safety he saw policemt
8 fighting their way into the crowd. d
' persing It, and arresting some Of Il
:. disturbers, he cynically remarked
% a bystander that the incident prov
l" that the workers Of the world had
voice in the policies Of their COVER
~ ments-liberty Of speech was even 3
'e MED them. And when, the next moi
y ing Corwin heard that the offende
. the orator especially-had been {
60 cused Of treason, he grinned sat-
- ninety.
DC Sullenly, Corwin noted the prepal
ys tions for the first Liberty Loan ca
is paign. He heard rumors that the CO
al mittee had examined into every MAJ
en resources, and that every citizen
w Falltown was expected to buy bon
Az to the extent Of his means. On
io' streets-in the shapes Of placard a
III poster and handful and sticker-
=, peared the slogan:
'n Send Falltown over the top
no Advertisements began to appear
n the Observer pointed paragraI
u were there, appealing to the patri
o ism Of FaIltown's citizens. And
.a' the morning when the loan campa
y" was launched, Corwin drove to
:. once In his closed car. dreading to
accosted by the workers that thron,
the streets.
~, Corwin had got down early. {
. after he opened his desk he sat
~, 81, fore It for long time. thinking OF
IN young man who had sneered at
:. speaker some nights before.
n, The young mans face had mad
Low. deep impression on him; he could
II the fellow plainly-grinning his
TO tempt Of the orator and his frier
talk Ito be continued)
few
NAV UlVP To M DEBATED