South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-30

lHIOuSn the nose. he was cropping
and private life, we can continue to
receive from these public benefactors
lessons in citizenship that will enable
us TO add substantially 10 the posi-
bilities and perpetuity of this republic.
Every citizen worthy the name has
duty TO perform. He cannon shift this
duty TO some one else and still lay
claim to respectability. The integrity
of the flag was maintained by work
ers, not by shirkers. Selfish, indif-
ferent citizens add nothing to, but de-
tract much from its virtue and its
glory. The patriot not the parasite,
is its real defender and the champion
of the things for which it stands.
Different men in different ways con-
tribute to the public welfare. We
should all be prophets in the sense
that we should try to discover the
dangers that menace our cOuntry's in
situations. jefferson sought to serve
his nation well by warning it against
slavery. He saw with the eye of
prOphesy the demoralizing and blight
ing effect the bondage of the African
would have upon American society
and American civilization. This was
why he inveighed against it in his
first draft of the Declaration of Ameri-
can Independence, characterizing it as
a crime against the liberties Of a peo-
pie and condemning George III for
his participation in its "execrable
commerce" And while this attack
upon slavery was not allowed to re-
main in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. and its elimination therefrom
greatly distressed him, Jefferson never
ceased to oppose human slavery and
TO insist upon its overthrow.
When the Fathers brought forth this
nation they did it in support of the
affirmation that all men are created
equal. Not equal, of course, as deter
mined by the tape line. Not equal IN
gray matter; but equal in their right
to feed themselves upon the bread
earned with their own hands; equal
in their right TO fair opportunity to
get on in the world unimpeded by the
greed Of man through the perversion
Of the functions Of government
equal before the law. And 1t must be
in harmony with this conception OF
what is right between man and man
that this government will overcome
its difficulties in the future, both in
ternal and external.
Individual. and the Home.
In following Jefferson and in fol-
lowing Lincoln we are not called upon
to enter upon mad and indiscrimi-
nate crusade against property. All
we'll balanced people recognize that
wealth is desirable and that hatred
for it breeds anarchy. No great
project looking to the progress OF So
ciety can be promulgated without IT:
and it is therefore the duty of ind1-
viduals and of nations to seek an hon
est accumulation of the material
things OF this world. Wealth is one
of Gods great dispensations, and
properly to acquire and properly TO
use it are in keeping with the moral
law as it is with the law of economics.
But let us speak truthfully. Unfor-
tunately for us as a people, we have
gone too far at times in eliminating
the moral element from the methods
we have adopted in this country in the
acquisitions. In witness Of this state
ment | call attention to the disclosures
now being made in the investigation
of one of our great railroad proper
tieS-diSclOsure that are disCreditable
alike TO the dead and the living. The
time has come for the rehabilitation
of ourselves as a nation with some
Old-faShiOned notions of common
honesty. There is something more i'm
pOrtant in this life than the things
represented by the dollar sign; and
the man with the speculative and ac-
quisitive turn of mind, who regards
wealth as an end, rather than as a
means, who fails to see beyond his
contemplated gains the broader, deep
er interests of the individual and the
home. that foundation and fibre of our
national life. is a real hindrance TO
society.
l. DECEASED COmmercialism.
Now il is just this failure to respect
their rights and the relation they sus-
tain TO the nation. that has brought
upon US a debased commercialiSm,
and at times had practically taken
( the government that cost US SO much
from the control of the people If
then. we would correct some of the
wrongs now upon us and avoid still
more serious ones we must stand in
our local communities and in the ma
ton for justice. for the enforcement
of law and the maintenance Of order
These are the things for which our
battles were fought: these are the
things that must be secured else our
battles were fought in vain.
IL those, who have died for Ameri-
can liberty could speak 10 us today,
feel assured they would plead with us
10 give less attention TO their deeds
OF heroism and more attention u
methods for the avoidance of war in
the future. Prevention is better than
cure in this as I'm other directions
No man knows the value Of peace 50
well as he who has gone 10 war to
maintain the rights OF his country
men: and no man desires so much as
he to see the flags OF war and des-
truction forever furled and the world
conquered TO the ways OF peace
Are Advocating Peace.
liz is a sign Of progress toward ma
tional righteousness that more coun-
tries are today advocating a world
peace than at any other time in the
history of the world Nnar TIE hnr-