Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1919 — OUR AMERICAN (?) BOLSHEVIKS [ARTICLE]

OUR AMERICAN (?) BOLSHEVIKS

In these perilous times of the ■world’s history when, if ever', patriotic, law-abiding men and women Ought to stand by tfieir government and preach patriotism as a cardinal principle of Americanism, we have witnessed the spectacle during the, past few months of the most damnable anarchist propaganda that has ever disgraced this or any other country, a propaganda that has had for its purpose the creating of a hatred by the people toward their <govern» taient and the men entrusted with the administration thereof. These lying propagandists have stopped at nothing that would engender disrespect, distrust, hatred and general unrest throughout the

land. They have the Bolshevlki themselves in their efforts along this line. The halls of congress lhave reeked with the hisses of these dirty copper-headed reptiles who are a disgrace even to the “reds’’ of Russia. They have not as much love of country or patriotism as a rattlesnake and would seek to tear down under the misguided impression they are benefiting their “party” all that has been accomplished by the world war. .There has been scarcely an instance in which the more hellish of these “criticisms” heaped upon the administration have not been proven untrue beyond any question of doubt. But just as quick as one of their stories is disproved something else is started. And all ot these filthy, lying statememts Ot the “higher ups” have been repeated by the partisan newspapers over the country until they have reach d every nook and hamlet and have debauched and poisoned the minds of thousands of well meaning people. In most instances these papers have not published the expose of the charges they had previously made, but left their readers to believe them to be absolute facts. Not long ago we had Governor Allen of Kansas going up and down the country like a mad bull making charges calculated to incense the parents and relatives of the soldiers who took part in the battle of the Argonne forest, but all of his charges have been thoroughly exploded by army officers who were on the ground and by the allies also.

We have also had the charges of the frightful conditions at the embarkation camp at Brest, and these charges were peddled all over the country through an industrious propaganda until the blood of the fathers of boys ovey there boiled with indignation at the frightful stories told. But these Charges have been just as thoroughly exploded as have all the others of a like character that have been made,

and to cap the climax General Perpbing has made an official statement, showing that these storlee started soon after the return of a certain army officer who had been court-martialed aqd fined for striking a private soldier and who had threatened to “get” somebody at Brest because of the just punishment meted out to him. The reviewing officer of court-martial said of yiis officer in its finding: “For the future guidance, the reviewing authority feels that it is his duty to Inform this officer that there are attributes, the possession of which are essentially a part of the character of an officer of the United States army; that among those attributes are true manliness and courage—not only the courage that will stand the test of actual war, but also the quality of courage that spurns the idea of bullying or assaulting a defenseless fel-low-being. The striking of a defenseless, orderly prisoner by one in whose custody and protection he has been placed is despicable. No brave or honorable man is capable of such degradation of power or position.’’ * But the harm was done and thousands of minds poisoned through the propaganda, as the partisans of the Republican party grabbed at all these stories like a hungry wolf. They cared little or nothing as to whether there was any truth whatever in the charges—it would reflect on. the administration, they thought, so “pass it along, boys.” And, so w.e might go on citing instance after instance of a similar nature that has done more to propagate anarchy and breed disrespect for law and order than all the speeches and literature of the “reds” has accomplished in the past 25 years. The’ many intemperate speeches made in the halls of congress during the closing days of the session, which adjourned last Tuesday, and the action* of the filibustering Republicans in blocking necessary legislation simply for political effect is a disgrace to the country and to our boasted civilization. It is no wonder that some lof the more enlightened Republican lawmakers are trying to get out from under by laying the blame on Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin and Sherman of Illinois, two of the more notorious of the many “antis” in their party. But the Borahs et al are equally as guilty as the two whom the Republicans would now make the goats. It is indeed time that the press of this country take a stand to discourage the breeding of anarchy In America, and our politicians would do well to also take heed before the house of their own building topples about their heads.