Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-09-14
ARE YOU AN AMERICAN !
by Herbert Kaufman.

Yours is the hcri,aG" Of Lexington
a peer You're sovereign Il maker
Of laws -shoudcr.Anh soul high ~
every fellow
The swords Of valiant forbears
wrested for you these United States
from the grasp Of Tyranny and will
ed them to your children and to your
children'S children for all lim,~-to
be a land without a handicap or Il
shackle.
The Declaration of Independence
records your manumission and the
Constitution is your title to posses,
sion.
Starred white upon a field of blue
30 long as winds shall stir it's folds,
there waves Flag whose stainless
stripes have never known the heel
mark of conqueror
At which point suppose we leave
the Stars and Stripes tapping and
come down to the ground to ask what
in thunderation you ever did to in
sure its further glory and to perpet-
uate aforesaid prosperity to poster
ity.
In plain English, what sort of
citizen are you anyhow?
In blunt but emphatic terms, how
often have you given a thought to
anything but your selfish ends-how
many times have you foregone expe-
diency and immediate profit in the
name of the communal good?
How, long have you ever paused in
your moneygrabbing to post yourself
concerning the needs and the perils
of the country?
Do you really know what's going
on in America?
Have you even a fair conception of
the great issues-the important meas
ures which your vote helps to decide?
Do you comprehend for what you
cast your ballot? Have you spent so
much as whole hour in your entire
lifetime, examining the records of
the candidates you have endorsed
have you once argued your next-door
neighbor into supporting better
man, than his first purblind choice,
for the legislature or the city coun-
Gil or for congress?
What, in brief, is the sum total OF
your contribution to civics or to hu.
mainly?
What portion of your time has
been subtracted from work or from
play to better the lot of the commun-
ity or a single member thereof?
l. You, an American-tommyrot!
Why, your patriotism is only name
deep-you're labelwearer--a maker
OF phrases naught in the millions.
You're barnacle on the Ship of
State--a leech, a parasite, enjoying
undeseryed privileges and preroga-
tiyes demanding and accepting
protection which you have never
earned. .,
You're drone in the political bee
hiye--a consumer OF national bene-
fits and a producer only for self.con-
SUMPTION. =.
YEA You live entirely within yourself
and for yourself.
You eat, but you plant nothing
you destroy forests, but you set no
trees you drain springs, but you
sink no wells you call for service
but you render none.
You a citizen! q Il. KS
Go back to history and learn the
meaning Of citizenship. 5.#
Go back to San Juan--back Is.
Bull Run back to the tragedy of the
Alamo hack to the red waters of.
Erie back to the stained SHOWS OF.
Trenton back to the stockades of
the Kentucky Withstand battle your.
sooty and sordid brain in the memory
Of real AMERICANS 5s
they bought your safety and Sc
curity in bitter priyation and daring
and death. What have you sacrificed
in tile name Of your children
The Golden Rule n Department.
That street car conductor who said
it was lust as easy to he polite to pas.
sengers as polite Sen... "a good deal
better, was wise man. And the
fact that the company had awarded
hl1ot I've gold medals for being the
SRliging conductor on their line