The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-30

that be our dream and desire.--to count
nothing worth while that does not hell
all other men as il helps ourselves
Already the war has made us a new
kind OF nation. over night the United
States has completed a new task That
new job is the making of every indi-
vidual citizen into n unit in the national
life. The government has undertaken to
make ii possible for every individual to
give service to the nation. And IL is
n wonderful thing. The moment the In
state, the state becomes infinitely con-
cerned in the welfare of the individual
Whatever accenturates the individual as
contributing factor TO the common
wealth increases the solicitude of the
state for his prosperity and happiness
Private interest is daily giving away to
the common interest. Day by day the
country is falling into the communal
habit. Had the war done nothing else
for us this would make it worth while
To have brought home to the individual
citizen the truth that none is so poor
that he cannot give service for the
common welfare: that there is com
munity task for every man. woman and
child. and that the nation must live. IL
it lives at all. upon this common effort
of citizenship.-this is an achievement
in democracy. In other words the United
States has ceased to be collection oil
individuals and has become in truth a
a
operation. Therefore you and are to
be factors in the making of Americas
destiny. The war has given us great
er nation, and it has given us greater
citizenship.-a create. you and me-
The war will not be won. in its high
est sense, by the boys on the battleheld
They will defeat the enemy; they Will
establish the founds ton of a new
world. But what shall be built on that
foundation will depend upon the quality
of our citizenship. If we are less worthy
than our soldier boys; if we live win
less of unselfsh service for the common
good in our lives; if we do not guide
our action and our thought and our
aspira ton by the same spirit OF conse-
Grated loyalty that moves the boys upon
the theatre of war, we shall never re-
deem their sacrifices or realize fully the
possibilities for better world
When the war is over great ADJUST
ments and establishments VIII pc nec t,;I,
sary: immense problems of peace Will
confront u.s. These can never De prop
erly and lastingly made on any basis OF
ma ssion fury hatred, misunderstanding.
or impotence: nor can they De nlsaue JuS'
Nv upon any basis of unthinking 1deai-
ism. We shall greatly need in the DAYS
to come the virtue of sanity, calmness
and tolerance. So. 80
No man who represents the spirit OF
destruction can build the new America;
No man who lacks reverence, 1altn anu
kindness can create the spirit OF proIner
hood which must dominate the Worid IL
we are TO save out of the war. Our poy
are fighting and dying that the spirit OF
destruction may be forever overtnroWn:
The spirit of destruction in the days OF
peace will represent the betrayal OF the
sacrifices made in the days OF war.
The Impractical idealism which is not
willing TO build patiently and when
blindly destroys the Wnoie Iapric Vi 81
ciety to destroy the things II ras es
against, will bring to us almost as gTed'
disaster as the deliberate malice ana nat
red of those who have no care. lot the
things that are noble. "a,
We shall need that consecrateo Si IN
zenship which thinks and sees; Wmc e.n
Weighs and measures; which destroys
only that it may build: and IN whlcn
love and humanity and kindness aiS
conjoined with the sprlt o. JUS rns,,a,ii
Neither now or hereafter, must we
hermit room for hysteria,-no matter DIV
what name it goes. When 1t paiaues ~
,,,ust give ii the lie We must frown
like upon the anarchy which oVerthroWs
government. and upon the anarchy Whlcn
inyades the constitutional rlSnts Oh HIGH
,Inon which lust government rests
Tbe RESPONSIBILITIES OF tomorrow VIII ne
great. so must the citizenship be great.
Earnestly, therefore, must every ,' INC
man and woman in TINS treat On
dndicate himself to the new duties. ana
nrenare himself for them, by cultivatine
within his own life the spirit OF Justice,
nobility, and tolerance, ana ps hrt Wis
daily with such wholesomenless bic III life
,,ra eno,Igh. sweet enough. sure
enough to be poured into the treasury
Of he worlds life as an enrlchlng anu
expanding contribution.
The one great task for you ana me Is
to learn how to get together,-so n,,,o
ono another-to be brothers anu coiii
rades- and in a splendid co-operatloii ~
hon nd
building of a beautiful family cHcie ~
which every member shall nave ms pa, :,
and from which we shah ora aI 90 Oh
sustaining inspiration. we nesu e 1;fa
other. The thing that made mooeTn LIZ
CO moor has not been its compleNity, ~
;ts loneliness. The hunger LOT Guilt ~
shin has been the tragedy OF Ihe mH,eT
The isolation of one man from ano uti5,,
~ division into classes. the separate
Of activities, the lack OF common ~ .erat
nose among men, the failure 10 80
together''-this is what mas nroI hank
to verge of spiritual and mora ps s;rn
r1ntcy we need to get back TO the SIN .
nlicities of life,-to the PLAIN human ,ao,r
~ affectiOnate co-ooerauoii'- -
that hands were mace MOI T r,aW;np the
same game and going the same ii ~
tourney between the craale a Who
dreamless dus.. and that ne WlseS' ;,ao
sn,,os the most, trusts the most. SiVss
~ rnost and makes life great au-
,,nnture in brotherhood and heinIuinees'
The Individual life. all by Itself. Is e
rather poor concern. All py ltsen =,
cannot rise to the heights s5 81 opp man Tor
cnnradeship Only as we any our ~ e.s
10y, other lives do we rise into Visioil
va fine mower that makes 1T posslole %
live richly, and give our pest ~ ens
common treasury of manklnu. ,tuenr
over we wipe out any barrier between
two men. or between classes of men;
whenever we make it easier for any men
70 meet face to face with conscious
ness of their common purpose. we lay
the foundation of the world deeper ana
maize the possibilities of human lie
vaster.
Rnt Yesterday I stood in the state
capitol before the tattered and battle
torn flags which in the dark days OF
and flood to become at last the symbols
of the indestructible nation. glorified ano
made pure by the sacrifice of its sons.
And as 1 stood there 1T seemed 10 me
that these flags broke forth into voice
to summon the new generation to It's
dI,tv and to rebuke the recreant citizen
ship that would escape the Just 6ufoens
of a righteous cause. They spoke MOI
of wealth and fame and power. not OF
victories and tawdry glories, pot or the
Thev smoke of sacrifice and service. OF
hearts unified bv the love OF men, OF
souls made mighty by their consecra
tion to the needs of humanity, OF uat
riotism that takes no thought OF self, !
listened and seemed to hear these OLD
flags saying: ,...,
"Here in our folds are the beautiful
Lest lives of men who gave their az ~
preserve the sacred honor or TINS nation
the beautiful broken-hearted lives OF
and ,Inselfish. We waved above the
hiood-srnitten battlewrecked fields OF