The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-06-08

the subject around so she could do II
and then called on her for an opinion.
as the highest-stand student in the
class, She got up and claimed there
wasn't any such thing as II legitimate
cause for war, either legally or moral
~, and said 1t was sign of weakness
in a nation for 1t TO believe that 1t did
have a cause for war.
well, 1t was too much for that lit
tie, spunky Joe Stansbury. and he
jumped up and argued with her. lie
made her admit all the Germans have
done to us, the sea murders and the
land murders, the blowing up of fac
tories, the propaganda, the strikes.
trying to turn the United States into
German settlement, trying to get
Japan and Mexico to make war on us.
and all the rest. He even made her
admit there was proof they mean to
conquer us when they get through with
the others, and that they've set out to
rule the world for their own benefit,
and make whoever else they kindly
allow to live, work for them.
"She said 1t might be true. but since
nothing at all could be right cause
for war, then all this couldn't be n
cause for war. OF course she had her
regular pacifist logic working; she
said that since war is the worst thing
there is, why, all other evils were
lesser, and lesser evil can't be a just
cause for a greater. She got terribly
excited, they say, but kept right on,
anyway. She said war was murder
and there couldn't be any other way to
look at it; and she'd heard there was
already talk in the university Of stu
dents thinking about enlsting, and
whoever did such thing was virtual
ly enlisting to return murder for muir
der. Then Joe Stansbury asked her If
she meant that she'd feel toward any
student that enlisted the way she
would toward a murderer, and she
said, yes, she'd have a horror of any
student that enlisted.
well, that broke up the class; Joe
turned from her to the platform and
told old Burney that he was RESPONSE
bic for allowing such talk in his lecture
room, and Joe said so far as he was
concerned, he resigned from Burney's
classes right there. That started 1t,
and practically the whole class got up
and walked out with Joe. They said
Burney streaked off home, and Dora
was left alone in there, with her head
down on her desk-and | guess she
certainly deserves it. A good many
have already stopped speaking to her"
Ramsey fidgeted with pen on the
table by which he sat. "Well, 1 don't
know" he said, slowly: ~ don't know
If they ought to do that exactly
"Why Oughtn't they?" Fred demand
ed, sharply.
"Well, ii looks to me as II she was
only fightin' for her principles. She
believes in 'em. The more 1t costs
person to stick to their principles.
why. the more I believe the person
must have something pretty fine about
EN- likely"
"Yesw said the hot-headed Fred.
"That may be In ordinary times, but
not when persons principles are la
BILE to betray their country We won't
stand that kind of principles, tell
you. and we oughtn't to. Dora Yocum's
finding that out, all right. She had the
biggest position of any girl in this
place, or any boy either, up to the last
cAft ctr
dent or hardly even member of the
faculty that had the influence or was
more admired and looked up to. She
had the whole show! But now, since
she's Just the same rs called any stu
dent murderer II he enlists to fight
for his country and fag-well, now
she hasn't got anything at all, and II
she keeps on she'll have even less"
lie paused In his walking to and fro
and came to halt behind his friends
chair, looking down compassionately
upon the back Of Ramsey's motionless
head. His tone changed. II guess 1t
isn't just the ticket-me to be talking
this way to you, Is IT." he said, with a
trace of husklness.
"Oh--it's all right" Ramsey muir
INJURED, not altering his position.
~ can't help blowing up" Fred went
on. II want to say, though, know
I'm not very conslderate to blow up
about her to you this way. I've been
playing horse with you about her ever
since freshman year. but-well. you
must have understood, Ram, never
meant anything that would really both
er you much. and I thought-well, !
really thought 1t was n good thing.
you-your-well, l mean about her.
you know. I'm on, all right know
It's pretty serious with you" He
paused.
"Its-it's kind OF tough luckl' his
friend contrlved to say; and he began
to pace the floor again.
"Oh-well-" he said.
"See here, ole stick-in-the-mud,"
Fred broke out abruptly. "After her
saying what she did Well. it's none
o. my business, but--but-'
"WeIl, whatw Ramsey murmured.
'T don't care what you say, IL you
want to say anything"
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