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

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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.

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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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CLASS HISTORY At the present time we have the privilege of turning the pages of History which reveal to us the acts and deeds which have been accomplished by men centuries past. Such arc the works of the literary genii, the discoverers, inventors, artists and sculptors, who have advanced the civilization of the world—men, who were brave, bold, courageous and energetic. Not only through the individual efforts of these men— arc we able to trace the rise and fall of nations but through their united efforts and cooperation much more has been accomplished. None of these things arc so important to us at the present time as the Great World War of today, which will require several volumes to record its wonderful History. Along with the History of this great w'ar w'ill be recorded the History of the Senior Class of the N. T. H. S.—1918— the first and only class that has ever graduated from the N. T. Hi. S. The privilege of recording the H;stor of this most noble class has been bestowed upon me this evening. Although not c’aiming to be a Historian 1 feel it an honor to leave a record to our future classmen—a record which has never been excelled by any class preceding this one. Ours is a class which has had more hardships to battle with than any class will have in the luturc. Through the help of a good supervisor and the strenuous efforts of this class the N. T. H. S. has been made what it is today. FRESHMAN August 3., 1914, a class of fourteen. Vern Shinneman, Clarence Keel, Fleet Summers, Lee Pippin, William Gray, Howard Pippin, William Costley, Karl Peterson. Otlia Polston, Martha Collier, Mildred Saylor, Lola Emery, Gertrude Taylor and Iva Emery entered the Weldon High School, which at that time offered a two-year course under one teacher. Professor Roy Baker. These fourteen never knew what stage or epoch of Historv they were passing through when becoming acquainted with the new customs, which occur with any change of habitude. They were never addressed as Freshmen which must have been due to the size o; the school and the lack of class spirit of the higher classmen. After passing through this stage which is dreaded by all Freshmen, no class has since followed our footsteps without bring branded with the proper label. Under the supervision of Mr. Baker to whom we give credit for laying the foundation of our High School education, twelve of the fifteen members of the class were faithful to the end and succeeded in completing the first year of our High School career successfully. These twelve looked into the future a year ahead to the time when they thought that they would graduate. It seemed hut a short distance away: to their disappointment, but for their good, this year was lengthened into three, and instead of graduating from a two-year High School those who stood the storm and tought the battle to a finish arc here before you this evening as $hc first graduates of the N. T. H. S. Very little concerning social progress is supposed to he learned during the hreshman year. But one social event took place which made the history of this class important, the students less ueglrctful and more thoughtful, that was a surprise on Mr. Baker given by the High School at the close of the term. Thoughtlessly the cream, was left sitting just outside the kitchen door. When it came time for it to play its part it was reported missing. After an unsuccessful search all returned to hid Mr. Faker “Good Night, at which time refreshments of cake and coffee were served. At ali parties following ihis one more precaution was taken against thieves. With the intention of leaving Weldon, Mr. Baker gave to the school, on the closing day. a farewell address, which was very much appreciated by all the students SOPHOMORE As the road becomes more difficult to travel, there arc always fewer who go that way. V ith the loss of two students, William Costley. who fell by the wayside and jortrude Taylor, who changed her habitude, the remaining twelve returned to school. Augus 30 191J. to complete the course prescribed by the Weldon High School A tew changes had taken place since our Freshman year. The chief of these changes was a new' I rincipal had taken charge of affairs—a man small in stature, hut mighty m words and deeds. I Ins was no other than Mr. Johnson, our Principal at the present As Sophomores we were given the privileges of Seniors, because we were accomplishing the last years work available in our school. With all such honors as .Seniors deserve being bestowed upon us. our pride and dignity were slightly lowered when we were notified that, by a vote of the people of Nixon Township, a Township High School would tale .the place of the Weldon llieh School the following vcai Ih.s canceled all our plans for craduation but filled our school life with a new spirit.