Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-09
What's Wrong With America?

IL
frank confession Of shortcomings
Now is the time to find where we're wrong.
When the floods racing against the dlkes, it's
too late to begin repairs No man can predict when
nor how the storms that wrecklng Europe Will
move upon us. We must know strength-our-
selves.
It's poor patriotism that resents the disclosure
of national weakness The optimism that feeds solely
upon success eventually breeds failure.
Overconidence is the ally of disaster. Wisdom
is wary. History is graveyard Of cock-sure empires
of peoples who ceased to post sentinels after they
reached supremacy
Campaign orators and Fourth of July elocution-
lists to the contrary there's lot wrong in America.
We've grown rich at the expense of citizenship.
We've developed ideas faster than ideals.
The biggest organization in the United States is
",The George Society"-those who expect the other
fellow to do his duty.
Indivdualism- pursuit of personal advan-
tage-is the dominant note in our life
Private ambitions absorb splendid abilities which
should be devoted to the nation The greater minds
among planning and continuing for their own
ends. Generally speaking, public service is deemed
sacrifice instead of privilege.
For example, what have you ever done for Amer
lea? Indeed what do you really know about the
country? How familiar are you with it's past-with
the principles laid down by its founders? How many
articles of the Constitution you recite? Do you
even know all the verses of one patriotic song7
How often have you examined the record OF the
men for whom you have cast your vote? On how many
have gone among your nelghbors to urge
their support for the enactment of in which
you had no direct concernY DO you care how many
forests destroyed in the next State what water
ways choked against navi CATION thousand miles
away?
To which you probably answer that you'll render
as much service the next man-but there's the rub
the next man is wrong too
There's too much carelessness-too much calOus-
ness too much ignorance, too much willingness to
shove responsibility the shoulders of few, and too
little in the selection of the few who shoulder the
responsibility.
How can we decide upon the sanest measures, if
those whom you empower to Judge the measures are
not themselves the sanest the ablest and the most
patriotic among us?
preparedness for the exercise of the franchise.
While you remain indifferent to the great causes be-
hind progress and security, will continue to have
indifferent legislation through bombastic superficial,
self-seeking and pork grabbing legislators
We cannot be greater than our leaders. And so
long as of demonstrated capacity disregarded,
and Bull and Pull supported for office in their
stead, we shall continue to be incompetent for the
emergencies OF peace as well as war.
Whether we are called upon to meet an invader
not is beside the point Whether you stand ready to
shoulder rifle play the Stacker is not the question.
There's three hundred and sixty five day patriotism,
your help year in and out
We boast of illusrious achievements, but we've
arrived point where must begin to count the COSTS
Gigantic plumbers mark the path Of
consider them promptly and conteract their influence
there will be an incalcuable reckoning
Criminal have been incurred in the development
of industries We've licked all creation commercially
but we've almost licked ourselves in the process.
We've buffed prodigiously and the bluffs have never
been called because has never reached the stage
Nature and four thousand miles Of rich and virgin CONT
nent have absorbed extravagances.
Our exhaustion of wealth is probably
without parallel IN modern times 80
Any old world nation conducting its affairs with the
inecency of method and contempt for conservation
would have gone bankrupt long ago.
There's lot that's wrong in America.