The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-10-18
Tolerance, True Patriots Duty

Before attempting to write this article l
asked this question of ten men: What
would you sacrifice for you: country Nine
of these replied Everything" One said
he would not sacrifice anvthing-truth is he
has no country to sacrifice anything for,
He says, ''the world is my country" But
let US analyze the answer giving by the
majority. They said, 'For my country
would sacrifice everything" When asked
to define the words Sacrifice and country"
however, no two of the nine men defined
these words in the same sense. Each would
sacrifice for his country Everything" yet
each meant something different than the
other. Amazed at this diversity of thought
expressed in a single sentence, l sought
Webster's dictionary for the correct mean
ing of the words sacrifice, country, and
everything. That venerable authority gives
no less than three distinct definitions.
l understand the word Sacrifice" as
used in connection with patriotism to mean
as Webster states it: 'sTo give up in favor
of higher or more imperative object or
duty" But Country means much
more to me than anything Webster defines
it to be. "a state that is distinct as TO
name and character, language, institutions,
or historical memories of its people" con-
stitutes country, but not the kind for
which would care to sacrifice my life, or
even part of it. If were to sacrifice my all
for my country, that country would have to
be as near ideal politically, industrally, and
socially, as it is possible for present day
existence. The fact that it is my country
by birth or by allegiance is not sufficient in
ducement to sacrifice my life for it. But if
it is my country by common ownership of
its resources, if it is as near as possible the
country of my ideals, then would sacrifice
not only my life but all that may have
hopes of having or being after earthly life
has ceased.
Sacrifice for any country. however, is
folly, unless the exigency js such that sacri-
fee is imperative. Sacrifice that is unneces-
sary or made in an unrighteous cause is not
only foolish but sinful.
The United States of America is my
country by selection, not because it is the
ideal untry, but because it is nearest of
all countries of the present age to the count
ry of my dreams. love it. adore it!
would protect it with my blood, my life,
my soul. But would not tolerate its in
justices; would not remain Indifferent to
its evils; would not hold my tongue from
criticising it, if criticism were its just re-
ward. would not abrogate my right to
choose of my own free will whether or no
should endanger my life or limb in whatso-
ever cause. / would stand by it when it
was wrong, only insofar as mad hopes of
| setting it Alright. / would consider myself
traitor to fight for it when it was wrong,
merely because it was my country. And
would consider myself even greater traitor
#, when my country being in danger of
invasion, or its national life threatened
failed to sacrifice, or be ready to do so.
everything at my disposal. therefore say,
I would sacrifice for my country either
everything or nothing.
In speaking of sacrificing everything
one should remember that one S conscience
cannot be sacrificed. 1t can Re sold, BART
cred, prostituted, but never sacrificed.
Our Visrpoins.