The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-11-23
AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS. ARE
~ WORTH FIGHTING FOR TO
I PRESERVE.


to those who have come TO our shores
t1 make their home and grow up with
the country" and everywhere move
nacnts are on foot by courts and others
to give aliens within our gates q proper
conception of American citizenship
and their duty to the government that
nsstows this boon upon all who ask,
, md are found even fairly worthy. .
While bewaiiing the sad lack of in
6ornation by native as wen as foreign
Dorm, on the basic principles upon
which our government is founded, and
rejoictng in the awakening of our
Eense of duty to these people, the
National Republican calls attention to
the activity Of the renegades in our
country who are working overtime to
Tear down the governmental fabric
30 patnstalring1y erected by the early
Statesmen Of the nation the success
Of which has been the admiration Of
the world and the model for all re-
phblics.
In speaking Of tho work of these
denagogues and doctrinaries, the Re-
publican says: ..
September seventeenth, perhaps
the most important anniversary in the
Ealendar OF American patriotism,
passes by each year almost without
notice. 1t is the date Of the adoption
of the American constitution by the
Philadelphia convention over which
George Washington presided, twelve
faFR hn NJ
Rration of Independence. The adop-
non OF the declaration was a great
event; the achievement OF national
independence in a struggle Of eight
years against the mightiest nation OF
the time an even greater one; but
greatest of an achievements OF our
revolutionary forefathers was the
adoption of g. frame of government,
tsthe greatest work." as Gladstone
said, ever struck off at a given time
by the hand and brain Of man." which
has so well stood the test Of time
that under It there has been developed
upon this continent the freest and
mightiest people Of all time.
So much Is said in depreciation Of
our form of government by dema-
gogues and doctrinaires. so little In
its defense, that the supreme merit OF
our national constitution is not gen
er@Ily understood even by, the Amer
Eican people : The trainers. OF the
Substitution did not throw together a
plan uf government IN haphazard ia
shien. It renresented the most con-
scientious research into every gov
ernmenta1 experiment in history. by
the greatest group Of pubIicists that
over appeared IN one group in the
life of q nation They cast aside the
nntried schemes Of vtsionaires.
And more devoutly priRed
Than all perfection theorized
The more imperfect, that had roots,
and grew"
In these later days critics Of the
american Constitution have appeared
gvho complain that it does not pro-
vide a pure democracy. The trainers
of our constitution knew, from the
study of history, tho dangers Of pure
Democracy, form Of government
which, even in little Greece, banished
wise men for being called just, and
courageous men for speaking the
truth. They knew that unrestrafned
! rule by a majority was just as much
OF an autocTacY as unrestrained rule
by a monarch. They devised the
great plan Of checks and balances of
Responsibilities and restraints, OF di-
yfded prerogattve and supervision,
which has given us that liberty safe
guarded by law that Is the glory Of
our civilization.
We are pointed, too, In these days
TO the virtues of the exaggerated
state under which the citizen Is the
creature, rather than the master, of
government. This form Of state is
not progressive, but reactionary. It
had an early example in Sparta, and
under 1t developed nothing but slave
! spirits and stole deedR The modern
example Is Prussianism, which the
whole world has had to rise up and
fight because it has substituted the
Bonl-le state for the individual
conscience.
tof the perfls of mlere majority
rule, without the restraint OF law we
have the horrible example OF Russia
under the Bolshevil1 Socialists. The
word bolshsvild means the majority.
majority has proceeded upon the the
Without constitutional restraints this
cry that only the class in power has
amy rights that need be respected.
Therefore we have had murder and
rapine on a scale unprecedented in
history, and the net result is a peo-
pie reduced TO such depths Of misery
as the world has never before con-
eefved.
with so much agitation against
cur form Of government being car
rfed on by de1naGogueS and doctrin- |
aires possessed by European con-
cepfions OF government, and with no
adequate appreciation Of what Amer
icanism means, it is the duty OF the !
American people 10 study for them
selves the merits OF their own Pc
ellliar form OF government. While |
there IL so much talk of saving the |
world for democracy, there are many
Americans who believe that the adop- |
ton by Europe OF the federated Re-
publican form OF government, pos
sibly by the division OF the continent
into two or three governmental groups
would be a better solution of the sit
uation there than many of the |
schemes which have been proposed.
But we have a fight in our own |
country to preserve our representa- |
i've Republican form OF government. |
1dncoln calls to its defense all OF |
those who have an under standing |
and appreciation Of real Americanisnl. |
our constitution should be. made the
subject Of study by every good Amer
lean It's interpretation should not
be left TO revoIutionists of the ros-
tr7Ir1 and the barred head. The tre-
gaeTadouS progress of the American
neopIe, the achievement of s1ch vast
wealth so much more widely diffused
than fl any other land beneath the
fgYn, the opening Of the door OF op-
portunity TO so many millions from
alien skies as well as from the home
land, the high level OF popular intel
9sgence! the creation OF the spirit OF
self reliance and personal initiative:
these and other phases of American
civilization have not come by acci-