Nixon Township High School - Nixonia Yearbook (Weldon, IL)

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CLASS ORATION THE INDICTMENT AGAINST GERMANY Today it is a common story how this awful war in which wc arc now engaged, was brought about by a hatched up scheme of Austria against Serbia, by claiming a Serbian subject had killed the Crown Prince of Austria. It is also definitely known today that these very acts were carried on under Germany’s supervision, and that she sanctioned the whole proceeding. And when Austria refused to accept Serbia’s submissive reply to her humiliating ultimatum, it was positive proof of but one thing, namely, that Germany and her ally. Austria, meant to engage Europe in war, for the purpose of military expansion and territorial acquisition. The idea for such acts, as justified by such German historians and philosophers as Treitschke, Nietzsche and even in tlu present day by Bernhardt, dates back to ancient Imperialism as expounded by Julius Caesar. Ancient Caesarism and Imperialism arc living forces in Germany today. Imperialism is far older than Rome, but it was in the Roman Empire that Imperialism found that expression that has taken captive the imaginations of later men; in that Empire it found, if anywhere, its justification. Rome’s wonderful progress from insignificance to world-empire has long appealed to German philosonhers as a most conscious example of the Hcgalian Welt-geist’s expression of himself through his chosen nation. I hilosophy and history are living influences in Germany. Philosophers have taught then disciples and readers that the Germans arc now the chosen people of the W elt geist; that it is their mission to take the place of Rome as the great conquering and cwiliz.ng power. Historians have kept alive the memory of the mighty role played by the ancient Germans as champions or as wreckers of the Roman Empire; they have emphasized that link that binds the ancient Imperialism with the modern— the Holy Roman Empire.” Hut while she is very proud to speak of her antiquity, and her association with the Roman Empire, there is one thing she is very careful to sav nothing ‘about The Germans are again m admg northern France and Italy, and the trenches on the west trout are drawn where Caesar threw up his earthworks in the vicinity of the isne 1 be invaders are murdering non-combatants or carrying them into slavery the same as Caesar of old; they are wantonly destroying monuments, priceless in their historical associations, irreplaceable in their beauty. We have seen a race pre-eminent for its technical s ill reverting in its ideas of international morality to its ancestors of the wild German forests, to men like those described by Caesar. who measured their national glory by the extent of wasted country that surrounded their territory. Surely he trmmph of these ideas would mean the return of ages no less dark” because the new barbarians have at their disposal all the resources of modern science. They have summoned the spirit and skill of a scientist’s hell and set it to work without curb of conscience or humanity. , w We see then that Caesarism and Kaiscrism are practically svnonomous Kaiser-ism implies that the State has no conscience— that the State as swayed by the monarch is supreme and is. therefore, by its very nature, relieved from the moral obligations incumbent upon private individuals. Accordingly, if the State — i.e.. the Kaiser and h‘nc,,nicn —aff,rnl anything to be of interest, other considerations even the most sacred, are ohl.terated and. beyond all else, the inviolability of human perVonaHtv whether in an individual Jr a free pcop|c ;s sct at t,augi,t. P fossibly the best idea of what Kaiscrism implies may he had from the Kaiser’s cnishWtordnier2n yAnnC ' mal,cr ‘I’’ col, ,ry- That is I. Who opposes mo. I shall law. and [ViatYs my law.”OU C ° 'y ° C and ,ha' is my wi ’ « • °nc Pen •» a!I unCLW.0t- Gcrnlanv's Plans, how she would rush across Relzium strike Fram e before she had time to prepare, as in 1870. comin suddenly so as to rrush her h?r Hw (Soun,ln on Russia to he slow, turn on that country, and make an end of her But Germany forgot to reckon with the hosts. She was mistaken in Beleium As I '®“,r.w.a8 hanKed to the cross with the nail prints in his hands, and a crown of on his head, in order that the world ntiKht he saved from sin. so did poor, bleed- our thorn Specditis”—Our slogan.

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SALUTATORIAN ADDRESS Friends, faculty, and parents, in behalf of the Class of 1918, I welcome you to our class night exercises. During our High School career we have endeavored to take advantage of the opportunities offered us and have endeavored to be a credit to the High School which the people of the community have seen fit to offer us. We are grateful to those people who have given us these opportunities. At this time we have a great deal to be thankful for, yet sad thoughts also come with this meeting. Only once more will we be permitted to come before the public as a class and as members of the Nixon Township High School. With tomorrow even-mg our high school career will end and we will then be the alumni of the Nixon Township High school. Our class has taken part in all the activities Of the High School and has tried to do its best and bear its share of the responsibilities. We may or may not have suc- ceeded in this, but we have endeavored to set an example before the other classes that will be proner for them to follow and will be a credit to us in after years. We are grateful to the faculty who have done so much for us during our sojourn in the High School. They have helped us over many obstacles and have aided us as best they could. Especially are we grateful to Mr. Johnson, who has been with us during the greater part of our High School career and has helped to make our High School what it now’ is. We wish to thank our parents who have made it possible for us to attend the school. In some cases it has been a sacrifice, yet it is best for us that we have the education. By having the education we are better fitted to fill our place in life. We also wish to thank our classmates who have aided us in all our undertakings and have supported the High School as well as the Senior class. We have finished our High School career, but we are not really educated so that we may properly fill our place in the throng. ()ur High School has given us proper training but this training is not sufficient. Wemust seek further training elsewhere. When we think of seeking training elsewhere it brings sad thoughts to our minds. We know that we must leave those people with whom we have so long been assoc:a ed and must seek new friends. We shall not forget that those people have done so much for us and in after years will hope to still see a Nixon Township High School greater and better thaji the one w-e are now’ leaving. Our ourposc this evening in giving this entertainment is to come before the community once more as a class. We hope to give a fitting farewell to our classmates -ml friends, a farewell that will long be remembered in our community and by our School. I'o such an entertainment I now bid you a hcartv and sincere welcome. M. MILDRF.D SAYLOR, ’18. FAMOUS STALLS I didn’t get that far. 1 guess I studied the wrong lesson. I didn’t understand that part of the lesson. ! brought the wrong paper to class. I didn’t understand the assignment. I didn’t have time to get over quite all of the lesson. I’ve lost my paper. I don’t recall. 1 don’t know. I tranlatcd all but that. Was that our lesson for today. Juniors are inclined to write “Young Books” on exams.

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:nc Belgium, offer herself as the sacrifice to be hanged on the cross to suffer that the Jn l might lie saved from Prussianism The world can never forget this act on the part of Belgium, and never can t repay Belgium the debt wihich it owes her. You ail know what has happened to Belgium since that fateful day in August over three years and a half ago. The country has been ravished with tire and sword. Old men, women, and children have been deliberately and ruthlessly massacred. War materials and crops have been seized without payments, factories have been destroyed, machinery has been stolen and sent into Germany; and. crowning infamy of centuries, workmen have been torn from their homes and sent into slavery. The Belgian people still stand caged behind steel bars, formed of German bayonets. Those who have escaped fire and sword and nameless evils arc still hungry, famished, and enslaved, ground down beneath the heel of the tyrant. But their courage remains unbroken and unbreakable. . However Germany was not content to stop with Belgium. I housands upon thousands of Armenians have been massacred, starved, and treated as slaves, torn from their homes and all that is dear to them, and sent without food on a long journey across the deserts of Arabia. Poland has been devastated. The people of France who have oeen so unfortunate as to fall into German hands are forced into absolute slavery. These things arc the result of endeavoring to carry out that idea of ancient imperialism and civilization, to spread that Kultur” which was supposed to surpass all civilization, that Kultur which has meant the very highest in Music. Art, Literature. Science and Philosophy; which has given us such men as Wagner, Lenbach, Goethe. Schiller. Nietzsche, and Schultz; that has caused anything German to be considered super-quality. ••Kultur” no longer stands for these things, but rather for murder, devastation, slavery, treachery, broken pledges, rapine, arson, deportation and massacre. German Kultur” no longer stands for civilization, but barbarism, anything vile or contemptible. But why? There is only one answer. Because Kultur,” under the leadership of, and as a background for. the Kaiser and his war lords, has deteriorated, it has degenerated, until today it is as stench in the nostrils of civilization. It is as leprosy to the world. Under this Prussian program, not merely is war inevitably hell,” but it is deliberately the very lowest stratum of hell, and the means of rendering it such are worked out with, scientific precision. The world, then, has the following indictment against Germany; She has betrayed the neutrality of Belgium, murdered Armenia and devastated Poland. She has set the torch of incendiarism to factories, workshops, ships and wharves, and. has laid the bomb of the assassin in munition plants and holds of ships. She has sought to corrupt mankind with a selfish dream of peace when there is no peace. She has willfully butchered innocent men. women, and children, showing no mercy because o circumstance or condition. She has destroyed commerce. She seeks to terrorize us with her devilish policy of frightfulncss. She has violated every canon of international decency, and set at naught every solemn treaty and every precept of international law. She has plunged the world into the maddest orgy of blood, rapine, and murder which history records. She has covered the entire world with spies, assassins, and incendiaries, endangering the life of everyone. She seeks to destroy civilization. A country or government that will stoop to such things should be entirely abolished from the earth. ‘ God is always on the side of the right, and by the grace and help of the Omnipotent, may “Kultur” and militarism he forever wiped from the face of the Earth, and the world for all time made safe for Democracy,” assuring the liberty of all people and that “ Culture.” and not Kultur.” he advanced by “ Govcrn-inmt of the people, by the people, and for the people.” K. FLEET SUMMERS. ’i8. There’s meters of measure, And meters of tone But the best way to meet her Is to meet her alone. Wanted—Good students.