Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-07-08

Wu6u Ody UIOAS. Oll Illc AOO1 III eAAS'S
flags foated from the windows.
But the celebration was soon over,
the demonstration suppressed. In
the evening the spirit of liberty
again broke forth in an illumina-
tion. 1t is not to be wondered at
that the Russian captive adores a
flag that guarantees freedom for
speech and press, as wide and UNI
fettered as the winds upon which it
floats.
But what we are especially to re-
call in this connection is the sacri-
fees that made the progress pos
sible.
Behind the blessings we enjoy
are the hardships of the first set
tiers, the blood of genuine patriots.
''They labored, and we have en-
tered into their labors. The i'm
portance of this study is emphasized
by the fact that leach breeze that
sweeps the ocean,. brings hundreds
and thousands of people to these
shores who know nothing about our
history. traditions and ideas.
Many an emigrant comes expecting
to pick silver dollars from the trees
and gather gold by the roadside.
and when he finds nothing but
wheel-barrow and a shovel and has
to so to work as of old. complains
as bitterly against the republic as
he did against the despotism. The
political asplrant comes and intro
duces new element into the cal
culations of party managers; and
the Irish, the German. the Scandi-
navian. must be conciliated by the
nomination of candidates from their
respective nationalities. One thing
that all must learn is that no group
of people here have any interests
separate from the interests of all.
We are one. The agitator comes.
driven out by the governments
he sought to overthrow in the old
world and, unmuzzled, crashes his
teeth upon the government that has
received him. He sometimes flouts
the stars and Stripes and runs up
the red flag of anarchy in its place.
Let him learn what our banner
symbolizes, and humble himself in
dust and ashes. The crimson
stripes tell of blood unselishly shed
that liberty might triumph; the
white, of the purity and integrity
of the motives that stirred the
breasts of patriots; the blue smiles
with heavens benediction; the stars
that glitter there shine with the
light of that honor and Immortality
to which our fathers have risen.
Hundreds and thousands also
come to these shores with honest
purposes and noble aims. They
come to identify themselves thoro-
ly with this land and its institu-
tions. They make sober and up
right citizens. They turn many a
wilderness into fertile field and
make the desert blossom as the rose.
And we do not ask them when they
come here to blot out the memories
of their fatherland or cut the cords
of affection that bind them to the
ancient shores. We ask them sim.
ply to begin a new political career.
We ask them to study the history
of the land of their adoption; we
ask them to acquaint themselves
with the doctrines and the leaders
who have shaped that history; We
ask them to put themselves into
sympathetic relations with the in.
stitutions that are the outgrowtk
of that history and those principles.
Thus, and thus only, will they fine
the true meaning of American citi
zenship. Once they were Irish
German, Scandinavian; now they
are Irish-American, German-Ameri
can, and Observation-Disclosures
and that is a great step in advance
In another generation they will bt
simply American without the quail
flying term. do not sheer at thu
"hyphenated-Americans,' as the!
are sometimes called. believe il
them. That hyphen is not wal
Of separation; it is a bridge upol
which the lrishman, the German
the Scandinavian, will some da.
cross over to the complete and fina
American. Once they marched I'm
der the old world banners. Now
they sometimes mount both banner
upon the same staff-and that is
great step in advance. But in an
other generation. the stars an
stripes will be for them the onl
flag that floats! Then they vii
appreciate as we do that flag an
all that lies behind it, and all tina
it means to us and the world. w
are sometimes charged with maud
lin sentiment when we celebrat
such day as that which gave I
our independence; but it was n
maudlin sentiment that gave US tn
day itself; it was deep-seated COZ
viction of duty, it was love of liz
erty, it was patriotism willing
suffer and die; and it is not maud
lin sentiment, but rather an act {
worship which commentaries til