Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-04-10
Article XII
BY FRANK coMERFoRo.

Known him for many years. Before
the United States entered the war he
was one Of the many impatient az our
delay. He believed that 1t was our
duty to join the fight when the ruth.
less submarine campaign torpedoed
fhe Lueitani8, sending 10 cold, wet
graves American women and children.
distinctly remember his face as he
read the headlines In the papers tell
ing Of the murderOus slaughter OF
Americans on the high seas. Now
when he greeted me he startled me
with his first words. THE war is over
I'm bOlShevik." did not know what
The word meant yet II carried to my
mind m impression. and while the i'm
preston was hazy. II was clear AT
least IN one particular. II sounded
Ike the confession OF a crime.
He had always been Of q quiet, con
servative type. Before the war one
would have Judged him to be pacifist;
he VAS eyen-temppred. mild of manner
and | still think that before August,
lBI4. he was a paclfst In head and
heart. II was only the call of Just
caase, the fight for an ideal In which
der In this respect he was typical
of 40 per cent Of bis countrymen.
had spoken TO him the day he on
listed. for he was one of those who
volunteered. who might have waited
for conscripti0n and claimed Just
exemption. He was ia the beginning
OF his married life. with two very
young children. BY profession he was
sn engineer Going 70 war meant
leaving a wife and two babies. leaving
Job that promised advancement
ecall his enthusiasm. the intensity OF
mis- patriotism. his quiet disregard Of
she danger 10 himself. am sure
that There was lffle hate in his mo-
rale. He saw danger 10 the world.
The honor of his country had been
offended against He was an Ameri-
can. one Of hose upon whom the duty
fell So ne went
fe bolshevik Why? | was con
founded, confused The only meaning
gave 10 his remark was that he was
an anarchist. The word "bolshevik"
sounded red TO me II hared of the
torch, photographed disorder. lawless-
neSs--lt registered blood. violence. as
Sassinatlon. force hare. insanity.
wondered how this nIne-Iettered word
had become the vehicle for so many
sensations that disturbed peace OF
mind and sounded alarm.
Where had the word come from and
what company had II kept that so
fouled IFS soul? What did It really
mean--had II definite mennl1r?
Was il hug Ike the 'tu" germ? Had
u 'cme among nations to destroy them
and to the hearts of men to silence the
heavenly message. peace. on eurth,
good viii 70 men" Would II run
around tho world as scourgeY Was
u pos script ~ thS bloody war les
son. prophees'ng more anguish and
tears jhan foIr years hghting had
brought? Would the world. coming
out o the war bent. now he broken?
or was II n meaningless myth? Was
The word hogl" hid joke. night
mare pressing heavily on tired. merry
Gus worlds head?
Seeking Words Peal Meaning.
Or WIS the meaning that men had
read into the word a lie? Was boil
SheviSm the message Of a new Mes
siah being cried down by the money.
changers If our time in the same way
heir ancestors had silenced the word
from the Mount and destroyed the
Message Bearer with the lash aud the
cross?
In every mind was the thought and
from every tongue fell the word Rr,-
sja had given the world word Il
had euclrlca ihe globe Eyeryv here
people were speaking the word--it
f"nud lodguent in every brain n liv-
ing place IN every language. Its use
had hetone universal The old the
young, rich and pour The learned. the
unClUcned. the scriouS. the ~Implp.
'hP f"'er The artist, The poet and the
p"ddlpr. the tinker und the thinker.
held the thQught and spoke the werd.
Men, women and children spoke The
word, read the word. aud felt the
thought ij carried
To The nine hundred and ninetv-ni0e
Il was word Of ill-omen. word ~
terror and fear. To the one In thou
sand IT was a word of hope. IA light
FOR the feet Of a stumbling world. and
The nine hundred and nlnety-nine said
that some of these people called boil
shevikS were dreamerS Of strange
dream. that twisted idealism had nude
ihcm M. that the majority Of those
who profess faith Ia bolShevism were
sick with a strange. social fever. that
they We're Observation-Disclosures. ue'er.do-
wells, criminals, that they sought 10
burn the world
t-made up my mind that would
learn the real meaning of the word
The dictionary definition threw no
light OF is meaning. came 10 the