River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-12-27
Prof. Davidson Writes
Timely Article
DEAR MP. EDITOR:

DEAR MR. EDITOR:
In accepting the opportunity which
YOU tender me to contribute this
article | claim no Divine inspiration.
AS merely one of Americas many in
conspicuous natiye-born sons, claim
only deep sense of gratitude to my
country and an abiding faith in her
ideals and her ability to make good.
This is a testing time. It is test
ing time not only for enthroned
autocracy, but it is a most crucial
testing time for democracy. The
democracy which has mothered so
MANY of us is yet young. Compared
asked, our system of government
in which the consent Of the great
masses Of the governed has not been
asked, our system of government
which seeks the opinion of the
masses upon nearly all questions OF
common concern is yet in its infancy.
American democracy is still in the
crude stage-lumbering, largely IN
efficient and, in many points, still I'M
tried. Never in it's history has our
government faced so many intricate,
unsolyed problems as it now races,
and never before have the American
people been engaged in a task more
berculean than that which now con-
fronts them. Those problems and
that task are forcing young democ-
racv to clean house. She needs that.
The task will bend her but we know
that it cannot break her. She will
stand the test.
This is a testing time for all man
kind. Today the souls of men are
nOured into a mortar to be pounded
and hammered until their dust may
be turned into the crucible. Here
under acid and fire the true metal is
he:ng drawn from the drOss and Stag
and common dirt. We are coming to
know each others elements better.
Our vision also is clearing Blind
ing notes and beams are alike dis
PEELED. We have been asking-Who
are our friends? Who is to be
trusted? Who is selfish? Who is
thankless? Who loves himself al
ways first? Who worries more about
saving his own carcass than he does
about saving the soul of somebody
else? To day we are listening to
each other and watching each other
more eagerly than ever before. We
are asking today-Are you grateful,
loyal member OF the United States?
DO YOU love your country? Are you
zealously supporting and uphOlding
her interests and her institutions?
Are you a firm believer in her price
less ideals? Are you a patriot? We
are answering these questions in
daily word and deed:>>~It is not easy
for all of us to answer them. In
fact, it is, not always easy to say with
sincerity and understanding, Eyes, /
love my country. She has faults
but l love her in spite of her faults"
Neither is it easy to explain just why
we love her. Most of us have been
taught that we must be patriotic
but we have needed to have someone
spell patriotism out to us in terms
that we could understand before it
meant very much. Isn't it true that
some of us even yet do not compre
bend patriotic regard?
But isn't it just as true that some
of us are beginning to see that
patriotism is largely our regard for
things and relations and institutions
which lie close to our every day life?
When we say that we love our country.
do we not mean that we love dad and
mother, the old home with its grass
and flowers and trees, the cool walks,
the quiet drives, the trysting places,
the frugal homes of friendly neigh
bors, the fine associations with con-
genial people, the old school, the
fishing and swimming places, the
church, the comforts of family life?
Do we not mean that we love the
privilege of property, the security in
homes and places of business, the
right to hear and be heard in courts
with justice, the right to worship God
as we see fit, the opportunities to
make a living and the indispensable
right of free, open, thruthseeking dis
cussion? In short do we not love our
country because she permits us to
: enjoy just such things and such
privileges as these?
Before answering the question
Who, then is a patriot? let us first
inquire, Who is a Stacker? Some
would say that he is Stacker who re-
fuses to serve in the army or navy.