Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-09-29
NEED OF EDUCATION IN CITIZENSHIP

| culent plum, they dropped into the
lap OF tyranny and despotism. The
war Of 1776. 1912, 1861 and 1898
failed to teach US this lesson. Pos
sibly the schools could teach it II they
tried, and we might learn the lesson
that the ancients failed to learn, that
Eternal Vigilance is the Price OF
Liberty" For the past few years
the only God worshipped has been the
Calf OF Gold. ane In this worship our
-sinews have been relaxed and we
have taken on fat in large quantities,
and our watchfulness has given way to
easy carelessness. 3D.
Even the solemn admonitions OF
George Washington and Thomas JEFF
erson were forgotten. and IL any man
was so foolish as to talk to them,
the people explained that war had
grown unfashionable and was impcs.
sible. The blatant orators OF the day
talked about our wonderful resources.
The school should teach that re-
| sources are raw materials and that i,
requires factories. trained artizans
and time TO convert resources into the
practical implements OF warfare. Men
who had been trained at the expense
OF the taxpayer in the school for the
army at West Point. and in the school
for the navy at Annapolis, and Who,
at the expense OF the nation. had
made a special study OF war, added
their warning to the others, but It fell
on deaf ears. The nation was like
the proyerbial ostrich, }its head in
the sand dreaming 1t was safe from all
attack. - Z y.
Insult after insult was heapcd upon
us by Germany, and the people n:et
around the street corners and clubs
to wonder and discuss as to whether
or not we had been insulted sufficient.
ly to resent 1t. The dispatches from
Washington stated that the people
had to be prepared for war before
war could be declared Prepared by
whom? Are the sovereigns of AIberi-
ca in the nursery and is the nursery
governess to teach them manners? L.
the chief executive of the country
elected to carry out the will OF the
people. or to train and educate the
people as TO what their will should
be? Is II possible that we. as n ma
ton. admit that we do not know when
we are insulted by another nation, but
have TO be told so by the Washington
correspondents of the various news
papers, who start their articles with
the phrases, "The officials at Wash.
ington think" or 1T is understood in
diplomatic circles in Washington" or
THE best informed people in Wash.
ington think" 1t would appear that,
in our homely addage, the tail was
wagging the dog, and the people have
lost their sense Of self.respect and
/. have to be threshed with words aud
: newspaper articles, and bullied will
. threats OF great disaster to bring them
to a realization of the fact that theiI
| flag had been insulted and Europe
, was laughing at their impotence.
II our schools had taught us oul
rights on the sea, we would have
) known when we were insulted, ant
( when It was time to fight, and W.
!. would not have to be tongue.lashe'
4 into the trenches.
A study Of history showing wha
l. has happened to neutrals in the pas
I and what our country could expect a
h a neutral, would have brought ever
@ American to his feet demanding tina
q we take steps at the beginning of III
European trouble TO safeguard on
5. rights and interests. 40.
n During these trying days, il SCENE
h that every patriotic American wa
G met on all sides WITH arguments I
r prove that the insults offered our fla
y and the invasion OF our territory wa
!. right. and that we had to submit I
e H. The writer. together with other'
II lacked the information to maiDtai
Y. the rights OF America in the variou
% arguments into which We were draw
r. because we were ignorant Of the fact
lr and the customs and the laws pc
re tanning to such cases. We had nc
lie been taught by our slres to meet 81
S. uation OF this sort. Our institution
In of learning had taught us ologies an
isms, but had neither taught us ho
ls TO defend the rights and liberties LEI
TO us by our ancestors, physically or
IS argument. Few OF us knew what II
al ternational law was. We did not kno
IN that the territory of the United State
as comprises the ships over which N
Is Stars and Stripes float. and that II
@. invasion OF that territory upon Ii
ar high seas was the same as an !1vasio
of OF the State OF Massachusetts,.
III .,.... 4. a.. Lu,,, anyIhiuU nf tho A