The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-28
Loyalty Once Again.
By Henry Dwight Sedgwick
of the Vigilantes)

In times of peace we are free to take
life easily, to consider ourselves as units
that are to be carefully tended and
ministered to; we are free to notice our
neighbors' ways and the inferiority of
those ways to our own, free to criticize,
to find fault, to count the beams in
our neighbors' eyes. Peace is a time
clutches, the binding forces, OF our SOC
ial organization are loose, slack, discon-
nected, out Of joint Peace is kind
of universal Sunday, a time Of inco-
hesion, decentralization, separation.
They loyalty is in abeyance; the indi-
vidual is at liberty to seek first his
private good and the good of his family,
of his corporation, of his community,
Of his economic and social unit.
In time Of war all this is wholly
changed The hundred millions of Am
orleans are no longer one hundred mill
ion separate units, each pursuing his
own happiness, but one body, with one
purpose and one destiny, all its mem
bers acting in cooperation for the safe
ty Of the whole. There must be union,
coordination; there must be one will
directing the whole national system
All Of us, whether we were born in
this country mad voluntarily stayed here
after coming TO years Of discretion, or
whether we immigrated here from for
eign lands and voluntarily stay, have
been receiving the benefits conferred
upon us by political, economic and SOC
ial cooperation with our fellow citizens.
We have received their help upon the
implied promise to give our help in
return; they have helped us. relying
upon the implied promise to give them
help in our turn. We have taken their
assistance, their succOr, their support;
by their aid we have enjoyed security
in property and person; we have profit.
ed by their comradeship and friend.
ship by their work, by their forbear
ance we have taken all the advanta
ges that come from union and ceopera
ton. Let any man who thinks he has
, received nothing from the political OF
economic society in which he lives de
/ part to a desert island There he viii
learn that he owes virtually everything
' to the companionship Of his fellow citi
, zens.
D To take what our fellows give anC
, not to give back is theft.
e In time of war loyalty-the duty I,
/; act solely in the interest Of the common
!. goods obligatory. We cannot serv,
= two masters. We must serve one coun
: try and her alone. In default of 10y
= atty there occurs what in an individua
= Is known as double or triple personality
}. where the poor body is subject first Z
a our control. then 10 second, and the
o to third; and i'm the case Of nation
Il there occurs the anarchy Of Mexico o
l. Hayti. Disloyalty means dissolution
r death
d In time of war all theories, plans. er
n deavors for individual happiness mus
s. be given up the individual loses hi
h individuality and merges into the grea
v national whole. In time Of war tn
y majority governs, it governs absolut,
e ly, it governs through a dictator.
n The minority must conform; the
II must renounce their individual the,
a ries, wishes, plans, and all the pleasure
e OF self WILL they must not thwart III
n will Of the majority, for in time OF wa
the majority constitute the natior
This is an elementary principle taugi
in the schools Of France and German,
e. drunk in with mothers milk, and ths
i makes those nations so strong in wa
Is that is why men are able to speak
"a the Soul Of France" or the "soul
Oh Germany" Now let men speak OF Il
90 Soul Of America" and let them beho
Sc what a great nation. all its citizel
s. acting as one man. can achieve for Il
ne welfare OF the world.
r.