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The Commoner
"VOL. 17, NO. 8
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is, tho road straight ahead, with no division
among our people. Wo can not. afford to allow
anybody in this world to think for one minute
that thero is any division among the American
people when once our nation has decided to enter
a war.
But, my friends, I think I can render you a
hotter service than to spend time giving you as
surance that the nation appreciates the sacrinco
that you are ready to make. About a month ago
I heard one of the greatest sermons to which it
has been ray privilege to listen. It was by accl
dont that I heard it; that is, I happened to be
in Georgetown, Kentucky, on Sunday, and heard
Dr. Truitt, of Dallas, Texag. My engagements
woro such that I could attend the morning ser
vices before time to leave for an afternoon en
gagement. The toxt was ono I had never heard
used. In fact, familiar as I am wicn the Bible,
it was ono that had never attracted special at
tention. I hopo that, when you get to your tents,
or at least, on Sunday, if not before, you will turn
to the eighth chapter of 2nd Corinthians and
read the first few verses. You will find a trib
ute paid by the greatest of the apostles to the
Macedonian church It is one of the most elo
quent tributes ever uttered by any man; I do
not know whore there is, elsewhere, such a
wealth of praise condensed into so few words.
Paul tells those churches that they have given
money beyond their power to give, that they
have given of their own accord and that "they
first gave themselves."
What better text could I take for tonight
than this: "They first gave themselves." Young
men, you are giving yourselves to your country
and it is the highest proof you can give of your
lovo for your nation, for your government and
for its principles. "Greater love hath no man
than this; that ho lay down his life for his
friend." When a body of men, reaching the
highest development in body, mind and heart,
stop forward and, as one man. says: "Here am I,
send me," you have given evidence of your love
and loyalty. It is sacrifice that measures love.
Wo show our love by what we are willing to
GiyB, not by what we are willing to RECEIVE.
It is easy enough to find men who are willing to
receive, but not so easy to find those who GIVE,
and who give THEMSELVES.
The part of the ordinary citizen seems hard
when he is asked to pay high taxes. At Wash
ington they are having difficulty in deciding just
how high they should put the rate on incomes,
and we hear many protests. Some think it is
too much when you collect one-third or one-half
of the income, but when taxes aro collected on
. incomes the owner keeps the property on which
the tax is levied; only a part of the income is
surrendered.
But you, my friends, when you give, give
yourselves. You give your ALL; what would
not a man give in exchange for his life? High
taxes may take ALL the income of a property,
but. taxes can not take as much as the govern
ment takes from the man who gives his life.
You give yourselves, but men, I can not stop
here. I am not satisfied to tell you that you are
giving yourselves as evidence of your patriot
ism. You have to give something more than
your life; before you have a chance to die you
have a work to do. You are the men picked by
tho government to lead Jthe others. The duty
of a leader is not merely to tell his men what to
do. The leader's duty is to SHOW them what
to do.
We once had a governor in Illinois, Gov.
Oglesby, a man of great native wisdom, who
described a leader; he said, "A leader is a man
who is going in the same direction as the people
are going and a little bit ahead." You can not
lead unless you arecgoing in the same direction
and you can not lead unless you are a little bit
ahead. You are selected as leaders to go in
front of your men, to show your men how to
fight. But that is not all. According to the re
ports from Prance, only one soldier in fourteen
has had to give up his life. ,
You are not only to die for your country, if
necessary, but you aro to live for your country.
You are not only to lead men in battle, but you
are to give while you live an example that will
be worth following. The Bible tells us that good
ia to be propagated by example. Our Master
Himself enjoins us to so live that others, seeing
our good works, may bo constrained to glorify
tho Father.
Officers-to-be, I would not be doing my duty
to my country if I did not enjoin upon you the
performance of a very solemn duty. You are to
bo given charge of men who are gathered from
among your countrymen. No boy will go back
homo just as he was when he came into the
army. Its members can not stand still. Every
human beings is moving every day and every
hour, up toward the highest plane to which man
can attain, or down toward the lowest level to
which a man can fall.
Ofllcers-to-be, you are going to have much to
say and much to do with the futures of these
men entrusted to your care. When the govern
ment turns over to you a certain number of
muskets it requires that you keep account of
them. When it turns these men over to you it
has a right to demand an account of every soul
that has been put into your keeping. What are
you going to do for these men who come from
the homes that make ours tho greatest nation in
the world? Back home are women who are
proud of their sons because they have answered
to their country's call, but their hearts are sore:
every waking hour these mothers will bo think
ing of their boys.
When they go back home, if they have lost a
limb, or an arm; if they go back shattered in
health or feeble in body, the loved ones at home
will nurse them back to strength. They will
love them back to life; and they will not com-r
plain. .But if they have yielded to temptation, if
their spiritual life is dead,, if they go back with
lower ideals, the mother heart will be broken.
And, officers, it rests largely with you to say
whether these boys go back stronger or weaker.
This is not the end of the world; this is not
the end of your work. Lincoln, in that wonder
ful oration at Gettysburg, appealed to those pres
ent to consecrate themselves to an "unfinished
work." Every generation finds work unfinished
when it comes upon the stage and leaves work
unfinished when it departs. No matter how
much you accomplish in this war, great prob
lems will press for solution when you return.
This nation is putting into your hands the price
less citizenship of the land and, if God spares
the lives of these men and permits them to re
turn, your country will demand of you that these
-men shall come back better and not worse for
their association with you.
Our schools will have failed in their work for
you, eighty-five per cent of whom are college
men, if your influence upon the enlisted men is
not a blessing and a benediction. Our churches
will be disgraced, if you, eighty-five per cent of
whom are connected with religious organizations,
do not return the men under you improved by
the association with you. I have talked to you
a long while, my friends, but my heart is in
what 1 say to you. I owe a great deal to this
country. More than any other man. Other men
may have received more but they have been more
deserving. If 1 can measure what has been done
for me, I know of no man in history who has as
much reason to be grateful.
How can I repay my country? I can, I think,
pay one installment by helping my country
through you. I 1oj this country. God has made
us "heir of the ages." We are "a city set upon
a hill," we can not hide our light. You are go
ing to carry our names and reputations into the
lands into which you may be sent. I am not
afraid that you will fail to measure up to ex
pectations. We shall not hear of any immoral
ities practiced by your men'in foreign lands, or
of brutality toward those who are helpless. I
am confident that you will do nothing that will
bring criticism upon our nation's name.
Men, how are you going to deal with these
boys? ,Are you going to love them and care for
them and bring them back to mothers and coun
try stronger for the work that lies before them?
This is one of the first opportunities I have had
and it is not going to be lost. ,1 expect to visit
other camps. On the day that our nation de
clared a state of war to exist I notified the Pres
ident that my services were at his disposal, and
there is no position too lowly if I can help my
country.
I do not know that a man 67 years old can be
of much service walking or even riding, but un
til they need me, until they call me to the col
ors, I may be able to talk to these men; if fany
word of mine can strengthen these officers to set
an example to their men so that when they go
back home they will make their families hap
pier I shall feel that I am serving my country
Men, there is only one thing to build upon'
Let no one tell you that you can build a morai
code upon a materialistic foundation. It is not
true; there never was one and there can not be
.one. There is only ono basis upon which to
build a moral code: and that is that, hack of aii
and above all and beyond all is a God Thi,
world was made according to a plan, and everv
human life is a part of God's plan, if 0ne-be
lieves that, then he recognizes that the kleheqt
duty, as it ought to be, the greatest pleasure o
every human being is to try to learn the will o
God concerning himself, and to do it. If everv
officer will, every day, attempt to measure up to
tho responsibilities of a man who BELIEVES
that God will hold him responsible for every
thought, word, and deed, that man can not fail
to be a blessing to those about him.
This is the message that I bring to you. I am
not a preacher, I am a man of the world and
have spent most of my life in the rough and
tumble of politics, but I know men. I have seen
many start with bright prospects and fall, and
I have yet to know a real failure in life that was
not traceable to a breakdown in the moral con
ceptions of the man. Therefore, I improve this
.my first and only opportunity to speak to you,'
to urge upon you the moral responsibility that
rests upon you, entrusted as you will be with the
bodies, minds, and souls of men.
Men, I am cheered by your presence; I am
encouraged by the attention you have given me,
and I thank -those who have made it possible for
me to add this experience to my life. I know
that if death comes to you you will die as brave
soldiers, but I shall join your loved ones in the
prayer that your country may, instead of re
quiring your death, have use for your lives when
this war is over and the end has been accom
plished when, as I trust it may be, arbitrary
power shall have vanished from the earth and
democracy be known around the world.
When you come back I hope to be among those
who will greet you and thank you for what you
have done, and my joy will be full, if I can meet
you with the assurance that each officer can
turn the men under him back to the country and
say, ancl truly say, "Here are the soldiers you
entrusted in my keeping. Every soul is whiter
and every man is stronger for the work that is
yet to be done."
I thank' you.
A CORRECTION
Editor The Daily News,
Pittsfield, Mass.
I am sure you will be glad to have me explain
that there is not a word of truth in the state
ment regarding Mr. Carnegie which was sent
your paper from New York under date of twenty
fourth of May. During the past spring Mr. Car
negie suffered an attack of pneumonia from
which he has made a very satisfactory recovery,
and while not yet fully restored to strength he
is able to give a couple of hours to business
affairs each morning. He has been much inter
ested in the changes being made in his new
country home and is looking forward to a very
happy summer at Lenox with his many friends.
I might add that Doctor Pritchett has never
had anything to do with Mr. Carnegie's finances,
and the coupling of his name with such affairs
is manifestly erroneous.
(Signed) JOHN A. POYNTON,
Secretary.
COAIj PROFITS
One war certainty for the United States is a
reduction of inflated profits obtained from cir
cumstances imposing upon the necessities of
people. Unavoidable circumstances will be bit
ter enough. Man made difficulties, selfishly con
trived by war profiteers to take advantage of ex
traordinary conditions, will be removed, we
think. .
That idea may penetrate the minds of the coai
operators finally, as well as the minds of other
exploiters of abnormal conditions. The temper
of the people will not permit submission to out
rageous imposts. The government will not sud
mit to it. Profits taken out of distress and sui
fering are scandalous and damnable. Nero, jn"
fiddled while Rome burned, was a humanitarian
as compared with the man who plays the casn
register while .brave men give up their lives.
Chicago Tribune.
Then it may be that gentlemen engaged in the
strenuous exercise of calling every person nu
is not as loudly patriotic as themselves sucn
terms of endearment as slacker and traitor, u
an idea that -vhen the people come to . cnoob
new governors and senators they will not o
look such sterling patriots as have chosen m
method of advertisement.
Jhu c
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