The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-06
.0[D Fashioned OBSERVANCE
ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO PARK

tclfrnate and savage enemies, proving
their supremacy to both; who laid
deep in the love and service OF earnest
lives and consecrated sacrifice the
foundations OF our present govern
Iment. In even briefest glance we see
the perils of the pioneers and the
lheroism of Lexington and Stony Point,
the horrors of Valley Forge and tn
heart-thrilling conquest of yorktown.
And we cannot but recall the later
chapters, of which these first were
glorious anticipation, when men were
willingly giving all that life held
dearest, and life itself, for the estao-
Fishing of a government of the people,
by the people, for the people. Be
cause of the things which thus nave
been. we are entered into the things
which are.
The Meaning Of Citizenship.
1--WE will also carefully consider
the meaning of this citizenship In its
privileges and it's obligations These
are no days for mere self-pralse or
self-conceit, for a blind enthusiasm
flor all things American simply hs'
| cause they are ours. But, in all sober.
ness. it may be said that this citizen
shin does otrer significant privileges,
where. The common man here has
uncommon rights-of participation IN
/ the management of the affairs which
touch him closely and remotely. IL
local matters and national administra-
/ ton. 1t is said that the decision fo'
this Notwithstanding European war
rested in the hands of not more than
! seventy individuals. who felt but the
I scantiest responsibility, II any at al
| toward the PEOPLE who must bear the
burdens of death and desolation. But
here no hand would be put to dec
laration of war until the people as a
whole had said their say in that oe-
| half nor ever If they said no. we
| shall have no war unless 1t is III
tional conviction that war is neces-
sity of national honor, or national
obligation toward those who need our
assistance in great cause.
But privilege is never an only chi'd
of circumstance. It's fellow is obliga-
ton. And upon us rests the high ann
compelling duty of faithfulness &c
+; our past and in our present If We are
to prove ourselves worthy of the.
/ blessings which environ us.
Hyphen is Dangerous.
"For the citizenship of today must
| thoughtfuily take account of the dan
| gers which face us. Perhaps there
has never been more pregnant noIr
! in American history than this. Famft
iarity with blessings may easily breed
| indifference to duty, if not contempt
iof responsibility Selfishness and lux
Jury of individual and corporate llyinS
have increased with the accumula-
Itions Of wealth and the demand rnr
lease. We have grown SO accustomed
| to questioning simply whether We
want, that we have ceased to ASK
whether we ought to have. Our flag
may come to mean to us not mucn
more than a harmonious grouping OF
colors, rather than a story of SPLEEN
did achievement through splendid self.
surrender to great cause and oc-
lcasion. We may use it chiefly to deco
rate our tables Of feasting, forgetting
| that the colors mean living and dying,
| and a supreme fidelity for either.
az count it a serious danger to our
citizenship that those who have com"
to us from other lands to enjoy here
lunhindered the superior blessings Ct
this environment shall continue to
ihyphenate thei- allegiance and caa
/ themselves German-Amerfcans, or
iItalia-Americans. or Polish-Americans
or Irish-Americans. or Americans with
any sort of qualification and limita-
ton. For the tendency of this sort OF
! thing is to make them seek an even
| balance between their loyalty to things
here and things yonder, and to be less
/ than wholehearted in their devotion
! to this land in the midst of which
| they have sought, and found, their
/ highest privileges and opportunities.
When the man of any other land has
taken his oath of allegiance to Anne :
lea, definitely renouncing his aileg-
lance to any land or authority be-
yond the seas. let him not suggest
! that he is Purposing, or can be per-
suaded. to make his oath a mocke-y
and himself an migrate, by qualifying
his Americanism. If his highest 10y
atty is not to be given to this land. le.
Il him consistently seek land to which
( he can be truly loyal, but no longer
claim the privileges of the stars AMI
stripes il they mean to him sometime,
/ less than the flashing Of some other
emblem. We have reason to believe
| that those who in their use of words
seem to qualify their Americanisn.
| do not mean thus to be understood:
| but only to preserve a sentimental re-
ilation to other lands and other friends
by SO doing But it were vastly bet
ter If we were all not merely content
tut proud to speak of ourselves by the
shorter, simpler. more understandable
word. American, without any ad-
iective attached.
BE Prepared for Danger.
4 I'VE are not to forget the POSSIBLE.
ity of danger from outside our bord-
ers. A. year ago we would have said
that such a war as we now cohtem.
plate with horror was an impossibili.y
in this age of the worlds progress,
i just as many are now saying that 4
war between America and any other
nation is unthinkable. God forbid
:! that such a war should be. But God
help us IL 1t shall be. For what have