The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-04
PEOPLES FORUM
The Glorious Fourth.
(For The Richmond virginian

tf OF Inc JSCnNoDu NHEil1hIiD
Today marks the anniversary Of great event
in the worlds history. This is liber,y's natal
day, and the graceful folds OF odd Glory
will be flung TO the breeze from thousands Of
proud fsgStaffs.
The magma oharta Of our freedom had its
inspiration in heartful purpose TO secure and
preserve the God ordained privileges of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness and the
immortal declaration Of emancipation from
tyranny was followed ny it's concomitant
American constitution TO form a more perfect
union. provide for th~ common defense in
domestic guilty" and IN fine. to prac-
tically apply the declarations principles. The
stom-racI<ed nation has been preserved by the
god Of nations and been so richly blessed as
to place her in the forefront Of the ear TIL $
exalted civilization. Well may the strains Of
America reverberate Ger mountain and plain.
throughout city and hamlet this glorious
Fourth"
But-'ge~t We forget'-liberty and license
are NOT synonymous! The perversion of the prin-
oiple of personal rights, whether it comes in
the guise of So called Self Government league
or what not, is the chief intirmlty of this nation
We may build "drcadnaughts' by the score,
and our navy be tho undisputed mistress OF
the sea, but If we permit the perversion of the
true principle of freedom to the covetous and
Rvaricious desires Of the individual ella sscs
communities commercial interests, and
the consequent sacrifice of the common well
fare then the glory Of the nation Will have
departed and viii he weak indeed
remarkable fact In connection with our
national preservation and general prestige %
pr o7perity has been ability TO withstand
successfully have the anomaly of per
united traffic in a thing that is inherently wrong
and unconstitutional traffic that costs the
nation annually teem'ng thousands of lives
wrecks homes, paralyzee industries, initiates
against the common defense" against ''domes-
tic tranquility ana all those things for which
the nations magma charta stands. The coun-
terbalancing corrective and remedial consa-
anFx.s J4.xra
Fut the situation now demands nationwide
remedy. WE MUST SQUARE OUR LAWS
WITH DIR MAGMA CHARTA! This is not
an emotional sentiment. It is not fanatical
'itterance. 1t is school boys Fourth OF
July epigram. It is a declaration that ernbodies
the thought and purpose Of the best statesman
ship 1t 3 the voice Of science. philosophy
sociology. hygiene, education, patriotism. in
dustrialisp, Il is the cry that comes from
wreck ed homes and broken hearts. II Is the
demand for the preservation Of the church the
home and the school, II is the command Of
the sovereign citizenship OF America that this
grandest Of lands shall be free from blight
that has 70, long been permitted by enact
ments from 1egisla lures in contravention of
fundamental principles of government.
And Virginia will be IN the column of stately
steppings to national prohibition The aroused
Christian social and industrial conscience and
purpose viii prevail against the manifold devices
artful Vaccinations Specous pleadings and
petty sophistries OF the liquor license interests
and the allies. synpat hizers a1ders and abetfors
OF the same. The strenuous efforts to hecloud
the issue Will be unavailing. The issue is clear
cut and we'll defined In vain may 1t be pleaded
that local option" is the remedy. for the disease
Is neither local nor stationery, but consttu-
tonal, and all peryasiye. Loyal souls will not be
willing to the position that this land
cannot enforce its own DEGREES be de-
TERED from their duty TO vote right because IN
some localities the execution of good laws has
been lax. Virginia shall be free!
All hail the Glorious Fourth You witness
the high tide of American citizenships deter
minaton to rid the natton of It's anomalous
handicaps and make this indeed the land Of
he free and home of the brave'"
W NJ BICKERS
Richrnn Va .Tnly 4