The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1918-04-27
THE AMERICANS RETAKE THE
UNITED STATES.

~,
But what mistake II was Tor the
Americans ever To let the United
States get away from them!
IL happened because they were TOO
busy getting rich, buying lobsters'
trying TO promote or suppress union
ism, taking trips TO Europe, buying
autos and speeding in them, trying 10
drink up all there was, achieving en-
inence in the society columns, striv-
ing 10 outshine each other In vulgarly
ostentatious display. pretending TO be
something they were not, acting as
though thrift were a crime and profiig-
acy a virtue, affecting TO scorn old
fashioned virtues and sentiments,
treating politics as a thing too soiled
for clean hands 10 touch, looking up
ON immigrants as a different and low
or order OF beings, blithely taking II
for granted that everything was well
with the ship OF state without even
caring who was on the quarterback or
at the helm.
So the Americans let public mat
tiers OF all sorts, great and small, fall
into the hands OF politicians who
were in IL for what there was In it
except that some OF the best OF them
were i'm II because IL was a game they
enjoyed, game In which the one rule
was 'Do the other fellow before he
does you"
These politicians commissioned TO
have full charge Of affairs without
check or hindrance, traded alien
votes in masses, sometimes by cash
PAYMENTS, sometimes by brides or
'places on the ticket, sometimes
through leaders who had their price
and went 10 the side that paid IL. The
politicians catered TO this one because
he was strong with the German vote,
with that one because he was strong
with the Swedish vote, with the 9TH
err one because he was supposed TO
carry the votes OF this, that or the
other nationality in his vest pocket.
All this from carefully nursing i'm
migrants through the processes OF
melting pot"-which we heard much
about. which we placed great and
foolish faith in. but which had scarce
ly any existence at all-put prem
ium on the Characterization OF
aliens. We not only did not encour-
age the Americanization OF the aliens,
We discouraged IL by treating aliens
as lower order Of beings-freely
giving them the ballot but doing
nothing to ft them to use 1t. We dis
couraged II by encouraging races and
race leaders 10 keep alienism alive
because it paid politically and because
nobody seemed TO mind IT.
While the German-American ALI
ance. for instance. was deliberately
resisting the Americanization of Ger
man immigrants and deliberately
seeking to bring about the Germaniza-
ton OF America, Americans, for from
Directing, let IL have its will in school,
press and pulpit, and even patted IL
on the back-for votes-until those
among it's members who might have
been as Jealous promoters OF the Am
ORGANIZATION process as any fell in
line with the paid agents of the Prus-
sian propaganda.
The Americans lost America by
neglect, by self-seeking and self-in-
diligence, by becoming so engrossed
in amassing the profits of the toll and
hardship and tears and blood of the
Fathers OF the nation that they ceas-
ed 10 value the priceless heritage that
was theirs.
The Americans are recovering the
United States The recovery comes
as an incident to a great war. Hav-
ing lost It by an accident, they should
keep Il by that eternal vigilance
which will always be the price OF
liberty.
The recovery by America by
the Americans does not mean
new "Know-nothing" movement. Ii
does not mean setting up caste sys-
tenn based on racial aBtagonism. Am
orleans, in their new Lirth OF patriot
ism, should remember that American
ism Is not a matter OF race or creed
or place OF birth or ancestry, but a
matter OF principle principle of
freedom and fairness and fraternity
that knows no distinction of blood or
race.
II means that we must Americanize
the aliens. not exploiting them any
more than We sumbit 20 being exploit
ed by them or by the politicians VINO
trade In their votes.
The recovery OF the United States
by the Americans will not come about
through any arrogant assertion OF
racials privileges. but by kind. big
broad, trotherly process OF American
ization that will Judge men by their
reaction to the principles OF true Am
ericanism. not by their place OF birth
or ancestry.
Tnt United states IL being recover
ed by tine Americans. They lost It by
neglect and selfshness; they must
keep Il by urselhshness and vigilance.
Duluth Herald
~ ~
Thos ID. Ryan has been chosen to
head the signal board which has TO do
with speeding up the manufacture OF
aeroplanes. Henry Ford was men
toned for this position. but IL IS
claimed. refused t. IL Is TO be hoped
that MIR. Ryan will succeed in get
ting some planes 10 our army.
n NJ Fa
North Dakota Is reported 20 be 60
per cent over its quota on Liberty
Bonds. That ought 10 put stop to
A 81 .r "a. 49,