Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1920-07-30
VICTORY OR DlsnoNOR.

'-Sa Thierry were being re-
wed in this country and Amer
can 'urial squads were burying
American dead and placing above
them little white crosses to mark
their last resting place on French
soil. Chateau Thierry was the
turning point in the war, it show
ed that America was to be the
balance i'll the great struggle.
Reference to the battle is not
made now to brag about how
America won the war;" but we
do recall the period because it
s'gualized the active, offensive
of the American army in con-
junction with our Allies in saw
ing civilization. or the kind of
ctViIiza ton for which this coun-
try stands.
The period which began at
| this time two years ago, was the
great period of the war. It was
! the day in which our determina-
ton was expressed in action, and
it was the period in which our
| purposes were more clearly de-
veloped in private thought and
public utterauce. The unity of
will and deed which America
then attained made it possible
for us to achieve for the general
cause what we did achieve.
At this period two years ago
there was unauimity of thought
and expression of this country
as in the countries associated
with us in the great struggle.
There was no discordant note in
orr land. This list of casualties
| in the American army, often fill
ing whole pages of newspapers,
brought the war home to us in a
tragic manner. There was ma
| tioual grief, and every days's
newspapers brought personal
grief. Here in Charleston we
Igrieved as community and
1t lere were manv griefs of per-
Isenal nature. The widely ac-
fquainted person today passes on
1.-THE streets every day some man
Tor woman who suffered personal
lgrief, every day some Incident
treca!ls to most of US an individ-
uai who laid down life's joys in
the great struggle, literally gave
Ibis todays for our tomorrows.
| Now, two years later, we find
! ourselves engoged in political
lsquabble oyer the fruits of VIC
tory. We find one of the major
political parties of this country
trying to disassociate us from
the friends of those days and
| find us engaged in irving to set
tile in purely national cleo ton
what we intend to do about the
| victory which we gained in com.
mon with our Allies.
I In the first week in November
almost exactly two years from
the day of Germany's admission
If defeat and the conclusion o.
IL armistice, we shall take {
nationwide vote which will de
ermine largely what is to be oul
latitude as a nation towards is
Isues then left unsettled and thu
obligation disregarded and denied
until now. The clarity of pur
lpose and the unity of will which
lexalted and made bright the day.
of two years ago have been ira gi
eally obscured in this country BY
partisan politics.
| The country faces the alterna.
tive of reCreating the determine
t1on which gave US power then
or reputation of our ideals then
expressed. Our ideals two years
ago gave the world hope. There
was no difference Of opinion, no
inclination to have anything but
a common purpose. Loud above
our battle cries two years ago
was the solemn repetition that
this must be the last great in
ternatlonal war; There was a
unanlmlty of expression on this
>ub1ect. No voice was raised
against the world program.
| For the sake Of the political
exlgencies of the hour a senate
torlal cabal prevented the ratif-
cation of the Versailles peace
treaty. This same senatorial
cabal nominated a Republican
candidate for President, who. if
elected, will do nothing towards
| keeping our nations pledges.
| We gave the world hope two
years ago, and since that time
one not acquainted with our
politics, would imagins that we
are nation without honor.