The Farmington times., 1918-02-22
WHY THE WAR MUST
BE FOUGHT THROUGH

whether the country should enter the
war was matter of personal opinion
but when the nation acted, it acted
for all. 1t became our war, and the
support of the government became the
duty of every citizen. The shortest
road to peace is the road straight
ahead of us, with no division among
our people. Division now would
simply tend to prolong the war and
make it more costly in money and in
men, and no one can afford to take
upon himself the responsibility of
adding one unnecessary day to the
wars length or one unnecessary drop
of blood or dollar from the nations
treasury.
The more earnestly one desires
peace, the more Loyalty he should
support his government as the only
means of Fastening peace.
Patriotism is love of country ex-
pressed in terms of national service.
1t is a permanent quality but mani
tests itself in various ways according
to the needs Of the time. 1t requires
that the citizen shall put his coun-
try above himself and the interests
that are personal to him, not matter
what the cost of the sacrifice. This
he does without attempting to figure
out what he is to receive in return or
when the return is to be expected. If
he were to enter upon a systematic
calculation he would find himself
very largely indebted to his country
for advantages so great that he can
hardly estimate them and so long en-
joyed that he seldom thinks of them.
The good that one derives from citi-
zenship in a country like ours enters
his life somewhat as the breath en-
ters his body. He receives as mat
ter of course and he enjoys without
stopping to think of his condition if
he were deprived of the blessings that
are his inheritance because he lives
under the flag. 1t is only when his
enjoyment of them is interrupted or
when a right is denied, that he real
1y recognizes the Importance OF that
which is daily his but which he un-
consciously accepts and uses.
The American citizen lives under
the best government in the world: 1t
is a peoples government, administered
by those whom the people choose, and
according to a written constitution
which the people made and which the
people alone can change, Our gov
ernment reflects the increasing virtue,
intelligence and patriotism Of the peo
pie and can be made as good as the
people desire it to be.
Because American citizenship car
ries with it more blessings than cit
izenship in any other land the Ameri-
can citizen should be willing to sacri-
flee more than any other citizen to
make sure that the blessing of his
government shall descend unimpaired
to his children and his children's chill
dren.
The return which the citizen makes
to his government is usually made in
the payment of taxes. The work done
by his town or city is collected for
through assessments made against
his property and is counted in his
fixed charges. The work done by his
State is likewise charged up 10 him in
some proportion fixed by law. And
so with his contribution to the federal
government. He makes these pay
ments sometimes willingly, sometimes
grudgingly, but in ordinary times
they constitute practically the whole
cost of citizenship to him.
He is liable, of course, to jury duty,
but he receives compensation for this.
1t is his duty also to attend caucus
es, primaries, and elections, but as
this is not compulsory, the perform
ance is a matter Of convenience where
it is not matter of pleasure or polit-
ical interest.
In time of war, however, the cost
of citizenship increases, and he is
called upon to respond to numerous
demands which are unknown in times
of peace. The most extreme demand
that can be made upon his patriotism
is the call to put his life at the COM
mand of his government and die, if
necessary, in its behalf. He should
be more willing to do this in this
country than in any other because the
right to take this country into war is
not lodged in an hereditary monarch
as it used to be everywhere in the past
and still is in some of the countries of
Europe. No power can involve this
country in war except congress and
that congress is now chosen entirely
by the people. The senate was for
merly made up of members selected
by State Legislatures, but since 1913
the senate has been as representative
a body as the house and is as COM
pletely under the control of the peo-
pie. The citizens of the United States,'
therefore, have all the protection
against war that modern methods of
government have provided--they are
carried into war only by the deliberate
act of those whom they have chosen
to speak for them.
In former days the soldiers needed
to meet new emergency were Sc
cured by the voluntary systematic
call being general and the responses
being dependent upon the volition of
the citizens. In this war, however,
congress by large majority substi-
tuted for the volunteer system a sys-
tenn described as selective conscrip-
tion. Under this system, the age lin
its are fixed and all within those linn
it's are required to register. Then
those who have registered are CLASH
fled according to certain rules that
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