Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
SUNDAY MORNING TALK.
Some Fourth Of July Reflections.

With the smell of the gunpowder in the
air and with the small boys powers of ex-
pectancy strained to their utmost, we may
profitably ask ourselves what kind of a
Fourth of July accords best with our ira
ditions and our ideals. / should like to see
little more serious tone given to the occa-
sion without trenching upon its traditional
merrymaking. Why might not a citizens
mass meeting, carefully planned for and
carried out, with patriotic addresses and
songs, become one of the standard fea-
lures of the days celebration?
There are several kinds of patriotism.
One is all splurge and buster. The other is
hearty and enthusiastic, but has its root in
an appreciation of what this country stands
for and in desire to perpetuate the ideals
and institutions for which the. fathers
fought, bled and died. There is an easy
going patriotism, which takes it for granted
that we are the best nation the earth,
and that we are always going to be- and
that it is nobody's business in particular to
mind the ship of state. that it will sail along
triumphantly over new seas. And there is
robust patriotism, which, equally hopeful
at heart, does not finch from contempla-
ton of the evil forces which threaten our
nations undoing, from q hand to- hand
grapple with them.
The truth is, this country has problems
enough on its hands to weigh down and ruin
a people with less latent resources and
with smaller fund of courage and hopeful
ness. Consider two three of these prob
lens.
First, how can the horde of immigrants be
assimilated? The Hood increases instead of
subsidies During a single week recently
12,cC0 landed at Ellis Island. And in an
tecedents and personal characteristics they
are as unlike the passengers on the May
flower as those Pilgrim Fathers were un-
like the native Indians. How these
thousands from all quarters of Europe
from he tran
formed into worthy, useful American citi-
zens? We cannot do 1t by sitting still and
saying Presto, change
How can we purify our national, state and
local politics? In many cities see today
the trail of a CRATER Representatives bod
les chosen to 90 the will of the people are
captured by the forces that prey upon the
public veal We think we have assed
England in some particulars, but we have
much to learn from her. touching the adj
ninistration of our municipalities. In Eng
land, the pureSt, most capable citizens are
honored with Office. They respond to calls
for public service, and cases of corruption
are rare.
Perhaps our greatest problem is so to con-
troll vast corporate organizations that they
shall subserve the public welfare. Whether
it be railways or monopolies of natural
products or combinations of laborers, the
essential thing is to make them amenable to
the demands of justice and to turn them
into channels and instruments of public
service. instead of remaining agencies for
the enrichment and profit of a single section
Of the population
When the American nation once takes up
thoroughly the work of lettering it's public
life it will succeed in doing. just as it has
succeeded in many other tasks to which it
resolutely set its hand. prominent pun
dit from India visiting this country recently
said that one reason why he looked for
great progress here during the next twenty
five years was because of the open-minded-
ness which SO generally prevails because
our people are so willing to try new things.
And James Bryce. in his recent fresh study
Of our national traits. has remarked: THE