Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-06-18
AMERICAN PATRIOTISM.

ny Or. JohH HcFrffe Driver
Well do | remember the day when
the Sons OF Veterans on parade follow
ing their fathers were greeted with
jeers and ridicule and hailed as "tin
came on and then the conflict In the
Philippines, and every son Of every
veteran proved himself to be genuine
chip of the original block; that the
heroes of Santiago and San Juan hill,
of Manila Bay and of old Pekin We're
worthy of the sires who fought at
Vicksburg and Shiloh; at Chlckamauga
and Chattanooga; at Gettysburg and
Peach Tree creek; at South Mountain
and Malvern Hill, and that the sons of
Johnny Reb" and BILLY Yank" were
Americans all, true to the old flag,
true to the inseparable and indivislble
government Mt Washington, equally
true to every high and noble instinct
of deathless patriotism and humanity.
When Hobson wanted eight men to
join him in sinking the Merrimac, in Il
very tempest Of Spanish bullets, at the
mouth of Santiago Bay, and Admiral
Sampson called for volunteers, the
men of the entire feet stepped to the
fore
When the legations of the world our
own included, were beleaguered in
China's capital and Boxer" fiends
We're gnashing and tapping for their
blood and re-enforcements were order
ed from Manila the only dread of each
regiment was that some other regiment
might be ordered to the arduOus task.
And when the transports sailed away,
bearing the favored troops those left
behind bewailed their inability to show
the world of what sort of stuff they
were made.
Thank God for the brave, worthy,
magnificent youthful yeomanry and
sCldierhood of our blessed republic, but
before another war comes may the
busy decades lengthen into centuries
and the long unfolding centuries ripen,
like golden grain, into the glad harvest
time of universal and eternal peace,
when al our swords shall be beaten
into plowshares and all our spears into
pruning hooks, ..
But let us not forget. my young
friends. hat great problems confront
us to-day problems Ms great and mo.
mentous as those that confronted our
fathers In the antebellum days
The negro problem yet vexes us; the
trade unionist giant, refusing to ipcor-
porste and as corporation become
accessible and amenable to the law.
and sometimes carrying ON BUSH
whncking and guerrilla warfare against
the most vital agencies OF material ad-
vancement and prosperity, utterly in
different to the comfort, well being and
downright losses sustained by an limo
cent and generous public; the liquor
demon, as deadly and more defiant
and strongly intrenched behind legal,
commercial and political breastworks
than ever; the widespread corruptions
in political life and particularly in
municipalities and State legislatures;
the deadly miasma of Official malfea-
sance: the invasion OF vast horde
from France, the Philippines and other
countries. many Of whom have been
expelled for immortality and treason,
expelled to prevent them from destroy
ing the government; the continual en-
croachment Of the church upon the
public school and the withdrawal of
tens of thousands Of our children from
the one universal Americanizing and
patriotism begetting institution-these
are nrohlemk that will tast nur M
thence, our wisdom and our Hottest
craftsmanship for many years to come.
lAnnnananaN A.