The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1922-02-23
GOODBYE. MOTHER
BV NJ. II. ].

moment of surrender of all Ehat tnis
world can give-its delightful friend
ships; its daring triumphs; its pa
tience; the divine love and pride the
mother has for her son, the father
for his daughter; the fame which en-
compasses the ages; the commercial
supremacy which is ours; the indus
try of our toiling millions, what re-
cOnpense of reward have we when
we surrender all this, and sink in a
bloody eclipse unnumbered and un-
sung
l look out upon the sphere where
we live, which swings through space
like a mote in a sunbeam, carrying
US with it, as a gnat, which might
cling to the tail of a comet as it
shoots out through space, and 1 ask
myself, What about it anyway? Then
l read in the Great Book-there is
but one book: No sparrow falls with
out our Father.
And so when we have entered up
on this great adventure made this
desperate plunge, shall the great
Middle Man, our Advocate with the
Father-the. Redeemer himself, stand
1T the threshold to- welcome US with
a smile and an +etnbrace, saying:
Thou hast done it all for me, enter
thou into the JOY of thy Lord.
He was a young attorney in cen
trail Illinois, highly educated, with
brilliant future beckoning him on.
He stunned the draft and volun-
teered with the remark that some
body must go ad l may a swell be
one of them as any other. The event
ful day came when his division ar
rived at the front and occupied the
trenches, facing its fate. There was
an interval of time before the order
was received to go over the top. 1t
was a crucial hour; but undismayed'
and with a silent appreciation OF the
gravity of his task, he sat down and
wrote to his mother, giving the nee
essarv details which would provide
for her during her lifetime, and
closed with the simple words: Good
,bve. Mother; / will meet you IN
another world" The letter was
placed in the hands of the Secretary
of the Company to be forwarded IN
case he did not return.
The record says this brave lad
went over the top and down upon the
plain where death reaped rich har
vest, with a resolution worthy of the
Republic for which he died.
The letter passed from the mother
to the member of Congress repre-
senting that district, who introduced
it to the House, saying: 'No words
of mine could add interest to these
lines" and in a death-like silence,
the Clerk of the House read the
lines of the hero.
A few lines supplementary are
needed here: When the nations have
lost heart and abandoned diplomacy
as a measure of relief and the pre-
ponderant majority turns and says
TO our youth, ''take this gun and go
70 the front while / stand here and
umpire the game'-where does this
Boss get his authority to stay at
home?
Henry Ford of Detroit, discour-
aged others from going, would not
90 himself, being a yellow boob, and
his son was permitted permit
ted him to evade the draft because
ne is a rich mans son; and for no
other reason: l challenge denial OF
that statement.
Now. at this late day, we want to
even things up; we demand Edsal
Ford, the son, be tried as draft
dodger. and that the old man, as an
accomplice, give an account of him
self Both of these precious patriots
can get what is coming to them by
standing for trial before Judge Ken
esaw Mountain Lands. If the Judge
should award Henry fine OF about
+wentv-nine million dollars and some
wears at hard labor for both father
and son. it would satisfy the people.
The future, we believe, has other
wars store for US, and one Of Judge
would have a deterrent effect upon
I.andis' fair and equitable decisions
other rich men who are strict con-
structionists as to the other fellow
p,t would like to comfort their own
ample stOmachs and stay at home:
Henry is so much an exemplar of all
virtues that he wanted to punish
Newberry for beating him to the
senate.