Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-11
U. s. IS WORLDS
GREATEST NATION
A. Carson Stamm Tells of
Duties of American
Citizens

The address of A. Carson Stamm
last Sunday at the headquarters of
the Allison Hook and Ladder Com
pany, where tn emembers and hun
dreds of guests met to pay tribute to
the twenty-three men who had left
for fighting service made an impress
sion upon it's hearers which will not
soon be erased. In plain but dig
nified and pointed terms Mr.. Stamm
told the people of the hill just what
this war means and what are its OBJ
legations to Harrisburgers.
"The citizens of this nation" he
said, ARE secure in the enjoyment of
their lives their liberties and their
properties, without any diminution
whatever, other than they them
selves may provide in the laws they
make. Thus is briefly put the
foundation of the political, civil and
religious liberties we enjoy, and
| which have made of our country, in
, the short span Of less than one hun
dred and fifty years that have
elapsed since the doctrine of human
freedom and human equality was
announced in the immortal Declara-
tlon OIL Independence, the greatest
democracy on the face of the earth
I CnN l,A
ocracy, l mean the greatest nation
no matter what it's form of govern.
| ment-and it can be said without
undue egotism-for of material
| wealth and if intellectual and spiri-
tual attainment there is a higher
average In our country than in any
other country on the globe. This
! could easily be shown to be due ia
the fact that ours is a democracy
! Under a government that is not free
as ours is, some may accumulate
! property, some may achieve intellec-
tuaI superiority. some may attain
! moral and spiritual excellence. but
! IN the very nature of things.
| could show If / had time
! success in any line of endeavor un.
der any other than free govern.
ment, must be confined to a very
! limited part of the people, and car
/ never be reached or be within the
| reach of the masses of the people
! as it is in the country over whose
! institutions floats the protecting
{ aegis of the stars and stripes. Again
! say let us thank God for our lib.
critics and the blessings they vouch.
safe us. But let us be a little sureI
! than we are that we do appreciate
them. The things that we ought tc
prize most highly we often think
| least of, because they seem to come
| so easily; as children who take fol
! granted that the food and clothing
and shelter and protection their par.
! ents give them. because they dom
know what toll and struggle these
/ things have cost. Our liberties have
/ been purchased at great cost of toi
and struggle. of blood and treasure
i and we can't hold on to them unles.
! we appreciate them. and we wnnt
""n"""'"+" them unless we think
/ about them.
| AT this very minute the Imperial
! German government is attemptine
to take them from us. In the
| midst of the Ggrea tWar, our gov.
ernmeRt and our people tried with
| all thelr might to main tain a neu.
trail and peaceful attitude with re.
spect to all the belligerents, unde,
/ the most trying circumstances.
Mr.. Stamm then recited some OF
the violations of international law
of which Germany has been guilt,
and her ultimate intentions of con.
! trolling the whole world And
turning to our own duties in thi.
crisis But words wont do II
To win the war every American man
woman and child must enlist anf
! enlistment means some service fo,
the nation. We are here to-day +,
pay respect. yes, to do homage to Q:
men. members o fthe Allison Hool
! and Ladder Company, who have en-.
listed in the armed forces of theii
country.
Mr.. Stamm's conclusion was tc
point out that every on emust econ
omize in his expenditures so tha
there shall be something left of oul
! incomes, whether large or small. tt
lend to the government. Not onl,
that but we must help our allies
the starvin gmillions of devastated
Belgium. Servia. Poland and Ar
| menia.