Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-02
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
A CoCKNEY SLUR

ME NATIONAL REVIEW, Lon
don publication. declares that
u Americanism is "a foolish, fu-
tile fantasy of American orators. For
in the United States every man is in
bondage to the plutocracy justice is
bought and sold everywhere save in
the supreme court, and the cancer OF
corruption pervades every member of
the body polite. No man can be free
where the law does not define and
guarantee his freedom. Assuredly, the
Americans have paid too dear for
their whistler
Apparently the British reviewer has
been taking a course of Charlie Rus
sell and David Phillips. Now, the
former is a pessimist, the latter
cynic. They are not representative
American writer's, because pessimism
any cynicism are out Of place in this
republic.
We are. however. unfortunately
compelled to admit that the condi-
lions which have engloomed Mr.. Rus
sell and curdled Mr.. Phillips are due
to the same cause which has led our
cockney critic to say that Americanism
is a foolish fantasy. Americanism is
not foolish. 1t is of the essence of every
thing that is true, everything that is
lovely, everything that is of good re-
port. It is a general application of the
Golden Rule to the life of a nation.
1t is summed up in the recognition of
the three rights of men-the right to
life, the right to liberty and the right
to tho pursuit of happiness, and in the
altruistie inspiring motive which is
responsible for the measure of sue
cess that has been attained to by the
United States-the greatest good for
the greatest number. The London
reviewer is mistaken when he says
that the law does not define and guar
antee freedom. The constitution,
which is behind the law, defines and
guarantees freedom. This is hard for
the average Briton to understand, be-
cause over there they worry along
without a written constitution, and
they are guided in legislative and ad-
ministrative course sometimes by
precedent, sometimes by mere oppor-
tunism, sometimes by chance; a fact
that at once eliminates the truthful
and oft repeated statement that the
British government has maintained
the integrity of the empire in despite
of a genius for laundering that is vast,
eager and incurable. Notwithstanding
this maladroit propensity, in a thou
sand years a long line of meddlers
and muddlers made only one irrepar-
able mistake, that which added the
United States to the family Of great,
independent nations.
Anericanism is not a fantasy, but a
reality. 1t is sometimes hard to trace
it in national affairs and events, but
we might with equal truth assert that
it is sometimes hard to trace primi-
tive Christianity in the conduct of
the professedly Christian portion of
civilization. Christianity and Ameri-
canism both demand an unusually
high standard of living. occasional
self-sacrifice and undertaking devotion
to altruism. A period of the world s
history WneH CHIlslidhs Sleu Win Oue
another in outraging Christianity was
known as the Dark Age. Perhaps the
American OF the future will say that
the later nineteenth and the early
twentieth century were the Dark
Ages of Americanism. But that does
not mean that Americanism has been
abolished. Even the Londoner may
spy it through his fog if he will gaze
CoIumbiaward with unJaundiced Wis
ion. And, cheer up, Brother American
devoted to First Principles. the dark
est hour is before the dawn.
1,- tha Arnarfcan innmiera.