The daily sentinel., 1912-05-16
ATTORNEY BULLOCK ON
THE BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT
Grand Julctio Mans Article in St. Louis
Mirror, Widely Circulated Magazine, Calls
Forth Great Deal of Comment.

Pchu upou HOW lutN nave Dttu IN
structed as to where to head in on
some of these high-sounding virtues
and their relation to economic condi-
tions.
/ We should be careful that he does
not become impressed with the SOL
D1ER'S idea of obedience. The SOL
DER assumes no responsibility
His not to make reply; his not to
reason why" etc. War is hell, and
the right to raise it was settled when
the war was declared. Everything
that he can be ordered to do in the
usual course of warfare has been
predetermined to be right-foraging,
for instance. or the prime virtue of
war-the killing OF human beings
The boy scout must be given to
understand that, in HIS case. the
right or wrong of NO question has
been predetermined, and that upon
HIMSELF rests the responsibility of
his acts. Free moral agency has not
been taken from HIM; rather would
we quicken his sense of it that he
may have the keenest perception of
right and wrong, and discrimina-
tion accordingly. He should under
stand that, while obedience to con-
stituted authority lies at the very
foundation of stable government, the
fact that it does is reason why 1T
should stand for natural, inherent
justice; for no law or authority that
is not cast in that mould is invested
with perpetllity.
Though the leaning tower of Pisa
has stood for years, We know that it
has hapn yin1afnr nf fba Is.t
of gravity, and that, in consequence,
gravity has ever had its relentless
grip upon it, which will never be re-
leased until it is pulled to the earth.
We are coming to understand that
labor strikes. instead of being a re-
bellion against constituted authority,
are the inevitable consequence of the
oppression of the masses, by the gree
dy few, who are intrenched in privi-
lege; which condition, as we are COM
ing to realize. is crime against civ
ilization: and so realizing, we must,
irresistably, conclude that a strike is
yirtuous revolt against industrial
slavery, and true courage finds its
highest expression in the reputation
of conventional wrong.
Patriotism is not blind reverence
for constituted authority. submjs-
sion to that vicious maxim might is
right, whereas. we know that ii is
usually wrong. rather is true patri-
otism an inspiration on the part of
the citizen that his country shall
ever strive for the realization of
that better maxim, the greatest good
TO the greatest number"
One of the earliest patriots once
said to Tom Paine, Where liberty
is, there is my country" To which
Paine replied, where liberty is
NOT, there is my country" And |
would ask the boys, which had the
finer and truer conception of patri-
otism-which had, indeed, dedicated
his life to 1t.
The Gods of today, time lays on
the shelf. Evolution is constantly
repudiating our idols Laws are on
ly nts-governments are but
tentative, and the idealist who is
constantly repudiating conventional
wrongs, clearing the ground for some
thing nobler and better, is the true
patriot.
Hail the day when patriotism. in
penitence and shame for her selfish
ness and folly, shall overleap national
boundaries, and rush into the en-
brace of humanity.
Now. as to the flag: 1t Is proper
that every American boy should be
imbued with the feeling that it SYM
bolizes our highest ideals. and If he
is, he will deplore any abuse of 1t,
and he should know that an improper
use is an abuse. That, used as com
mercial wrapping paper. it. is not a
pure food label--that the chauvenist.
who prades it, proves nothing except
that he has no conception of its sym
bolic beauty-that the same flag
which was bullet proof when enfold-
ing the form of old Barbara Fritchie.
would furnish no protection to the
traitor-that jingoism cannot pass
Tor virtue under its folds-that the
anarchist who kisses il under compul-
sion is not thereby purged of anarch-
ism-in fine, that it is not a thing
to conjure with.
Reverance; That scout is rever-
ent to God, faithful to his religious
duties, and respects the convictions of
others, in matters of custom and re-
llgion. (probably because neither
Is able to defend itself.)
Reverence, as here used, subjects
weak blend of submission and idol
oiest ioi tue ltHpeI-SOrt
of self-hypnotism-a striving prepar-
atory for obedience. | move its elm
ination.
As to respect for the convictions
CD of others. in matters of custom
and religion, | would ask. what is
a conviction? Is it not supposed to
be that state of mind arrived at
through the process of reasoning. by
which discovery is made that there
can be no other reasonable hypothe-
sis? To assume, then, that ones
mental holding. in matters of custom
and religion. is a conviction, is 10
stltify reason. Fettichism and super
stition, like all other vague. vapory,
unstable things. have ever quailed be-
fore reason, as ghost quails before
the light of day.
Let us be honest: We want to in
vest the boy with every attribute of
n n \, hnn nd Attf "a,