Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
"OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES
AND OUR SACRED HONOR"

AND OUR SACRED HONOR"
TODAY the young voters are going to
the polling places to cast something
moro important than votes. They are
dedicating their lives to something in.
hnitely greater than themselves. They
are mortal. America is immortal.
-Four generations of American voters
have served this nation and have gone
to their graves without finding It neces-
sary to change our fundamental law, a
record which no other nation can show.
England was an ollgarchy and France
an autocracy in 1888, but the men who
elected Washington President had all the
| liberties enjoyed by the men who elected
Wilson. A score Of democracies have
been fashioned according to our model,
have been sheltered under our eagles
wing. It is the privilege Of the selectmen
of today to make themselves a part of
that imperishable and unchanging ideal
Of liberty.
Here is a nation that cannot alter its
goal If it would, for It has already set for
its goal the extreme limit OF political
freedom that the mind of man can
imagine-local and national government
by the people. Our forefathers Of l776
undertook a daring and dangerous mis-
sion when they pledged our lives, our
fortunes and our sacred honor"--for 1t
was our lives as well as theirs that they
pledged when they invited the whole
world to follow their example and rise
in revolution, in eternal revolution. 1t
was an imperfect and tyrant-ridden world
into which they launched their blood-red
campaign for liberty; It was inevitable
that sooner or later America would be
called to account for sowing the seeds
of sedition in the minds of the oppressed
of all the world, II any Stacker wants TO
blame some one for getting us into a
world war let him blame George Wash
ington and the other heroes of '76. They
broke our challenging flag against the
sky, to their everlasting glory; they de-
fed the thrones Of the world not only for
the sake of us, who happen to live in
1917, but also for those who will live in
2017 and in S017. We of this generation
were committed to follow in their blood
stained path and drink with them their
bitter but honorable cup Of sorrow and
patient sacrifice from the day when as
children we fired our first firecracker and
held our first Fourth of July pinwheel
Washington foresaw our trouble. His
Farewell Address throbs with that ZAP
prehension OF danger" natural to one who
knew that his little rebel land would have
to breed men as unfinching as he if 1t
was permanently to Withstand the malice
Of foreign autocracy uneasy on its throne.
That the day was postponed when the
test should come proves the immensity OF
his success; for men Of the whole world
have been flocking to his standard ever
since and have made America mighty
against the Powers from which they fed.
There is no need for America to "Ameri-
canize" the war, for 1t was America that
started the war by proving throughout
140 years that liberty was possible and
worth dying for. And now, with dignifed
and measured step, she comes to the
trysting place her heroes appointed for
her. There she shall, through the deeds
of this fieeting generation. hasten cheer
fully to complete her gigantic and age.
long task.