Newspaper Page Text
nounce the government if this coun
try were caught unprepared if a war
broke out Give the girls a square
deal. Train them so they will not be
utterly helpless in time of strife.
A Fighting Irishman.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN DREAMS?
If you were to dream that the pres
ent European slaughter had been de
liberately prearranged as the only
sure check to democracy and the
growing spirit of discontent among
the poor, and if you were to recollect
that ugly social conditions had ex
isted in Russia, England, France and
Germany prior to the war, and if you
had' read that for ages past the fa
vored remedy for domestic troubles
was foreign trouble, and if it was
conceded that democracy and hu
manity were at the throats of mo
narchy, plutocracy and illegally vest
ed rights, and that established greed
and usurpation cannot exist at the
same time and in the same place
with democracy, that as the one re
treats or advances the other ad
vances or retreats; I say, if you were
to dream such dreams, would it star
tle ypu?
If"you were to dream that Amer
ica was already pledged to -a cam
paign of war and militarism, and that
so far we had failed only because of
the stand-pat attitude of our presi
dent; if you were to dream that a cer
tainjalleged American, a few years
ago casually visited the powerful
monarchies of Europe, and incident
ally overlooked the republics; if -you.
were to dream that he acted at that
moment as the agent of the real
rulers of America the money pow
ers and that there was a gentle
men's agreement that they should
strengthen their military forces,
with a view of embracing the first
opportunity for war, and that as
many nations as possible were to be
drawn into the conflict; that the one
and only object of this gigantic crime
was to establish and entrench mili
tary power, to put down and keep
down free thought, free speech arid
free institutions, m order that de
mocracy and human rights might be
strangled into submission; and, upon
waking, it looked reasonable, would
you believe it?
If you were to dreani that the
champions and lackeys of pluto
cratic, political and economic usurp
ation in America were the very boys
who are howling the loudest for vin
dication of the wrongs of Belgium,
breaking relations with Germany and
ridiculing our president, and that
they are the loudest and noisiest in
filling the minds and hearts of tie
American people with hellish pas
sions, would it feaze you?
If you were to dream that it is al
ready too late to shake off this ugly
monster, war, that the die had been
cast, that already his massive jaws
were trembling in anticipation, that
already his crimson mouth was wa
tering, and his hyena-like teeth, set
for American flesh and blood; if you
Were to dream that democracy and
civilization are to be set back 200
years j, I say, if you were to dream all'
this, would there be yeast enough
left in the spaces where your for
bears once wore brains to start
mental fermentation?
This is my dream. I have dreamed
it a thousand times; now it is yours.
Get rid of it if you can. J. H. Os
trander, 410 Michigan Blvd.
WHAT ABOUT THIS? Before
long, I believe, The Day Book will
realize its mistake in lining up with
the trust papers in support of Wil
son. In the meantime allow me to
quote from a letter of mine to The
Day Book, published in its issue of
Oct 30, 1916:
"I charge Mr. Wilson with being a
greater friend of the existing order
of society than Mr. Hughes. I pre
dict that if Wilson is re-elected, as in
j.all prpbability he will be, and the
i greed of our profit-hunters brings us
. to the verge of war, the people wills
i be less able to resist because of their
