Prev | Current Page 111 | Next

Tarkington, Booth, 1869-1946

"Ramsey Milholland"

"I don't care _how_ insignificant we few fellows
here to-night may seem," he cried; "we can do our little, and if
everybody in this country's ready to do their own little, why, that'll
be plenty! Brothers, don't you realize that all _over_ the United States
to-night the people are feeling just the way we are here? Millions and
millions and millions of them! Wherever there's an American he's _with_
us--and you bet your bottom dollar there are just a few more Americans
in this country of ours than there are big-mouthed lobsters like that
fellow Linski! I tell you, if Congress only gives the word, there could
be an army of five million men in this country to-morrow, and those
dirty baby-killin' dachshunds would hear a word or two from your Uncle
Samuel! Brothers, I demand that something be done right here and now,
and by us! I move we telegraph the Secretary of War to-night and offer
him a regiment from this university to go over and help _hang_ their
damn Kaiser."
The motion was hotly seconded and instantly carried. Then followed
a much flustered discussion of the form and phrasing of the proposed
telegram, but, after everything seemed to have been settled, someone
ascertained by telephone that the telegraph company would not accept
messages containing words customarily defined as profane; so the
telegram had to be rewritten.


Pages:
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123