The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-05-16

that the world may be made safe for
democracy. In the face of a world in
danger of starvation we realize that
even the food We raise is not ours to
do with as we wish, but that whether
we like it or not it is merely a trust,
and We are responsible before God and
men for the way in which we use it.
Seeing this we are denying ourselves
that others may live, others who ac-
cording TO our old standards had no
claim on that food whatever. We
rightly call the man or woman who
does not realize this responsibility a
Stacker, and he is.
Perhaps the most self evident APP
plication of this principle and the one
we hear most frequently applied to-
day, is in regard to that man or WON
an who has come from Germany to
America. He has come because Amer
lea offered his opportunities which he
could not ecure at home, Opportuni-
ties of wealth, of freedom, of position,
gift which a free country of tremend-
Gus resources has had to offer. No
questions were ever asked him. But
nov a change has come. The coun-
try that has given him all that he
has comes to him in her hour of need.
He is asked to take the responsible
ties that naturally go with all the OPP
portunities which he has been receiv-
ing. If he refuses, America has the
right to deprive him of the things she
has given. The talents he has gained
but refused to use in her service she
feels free to take from him, and surely
hers is the right. We Americans
agree with that completely. We are
demanding it.
But let us be consistent. We all
have accepted the same sort Of OPP
p~ortunities from the generous hand Of
u country. She has given each n
of us the chance to make the money
that we have made, to secure the ed
u~cation we have secured, to enjoy the
freedom that we do enjoy. Are we
honest enough to see that a RESPONSE
bility rests upon us for each one of
these chances. Each M of us will
be judged by the way in which we
face this responsibility whether we
to a man and his money. Not one of
us is in any real sense a self-made man.
Some have simply had the ability and
the brains, which by the way they
largely owe to others, to take advant-
age of the opportunities which the
community has given them to make
money. Now that community which
gave that opportunity m to that
man and asks him to bear the re-
sponsibility that naturally went with
the opportunity even though he did
not recognize it at the time. It says
to him that whether he is a Stacker
or not Will be determined by his ac-
ceptance or refusal of that RESPONSE
bility.
Still to be consistent let us carry
the argument one step farther. Again
a good many of us do not recognize II,
but it is true, just the same, that many
Of the dearest and most priced OPP
%portunities that have come to us have
come because of the Gospel Of Jesus
Christ. 1t is to that Gospel and its
spirit that we owe our most helpful
institutions and the finest character
istics of civilization. 1t is the Car
penter of Nazareth who, as the great
est democrat of history, has given TO
us the only real basis upon which de-
mocracy can ever work, Christian
brotherhood. To that spirit Of broth
erhood and service we owe nue. that
we accept so easily today. Others
have even given their lives that we
may have the opportunities that Christ
brought to earth. Your Christianity
and mine will not be judged by the
acceptance of the opportunities that
the Christian church has offered us
so freely, but we will be judged by