Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-03-05
JINGoEs VS.. JABERwOCKs.


been attributed to an ancient excla-
nation, by St Gingoulph." This was
corrupted and abbreviated to by
lingo" and eventually came to be a
sort of diluted crossword Conse-
quently, when a Yankee poet. in an
outburst of fervent doggerel, wanted
to be real expressive, he said;
We don't want TO fight, but by
lingo, if we do,
We've got the ships, we've got
the men. and we've got the money
too"
After that, all suppostitious states
men, who were generally politicians
by caliber. who advocated foreign
policy with teeth in it, were referred
to as "Jingoes."
To be a lingo" was for time to
endure the exeeration of the ultra
conservative press, who believed that
the American eagle should sit calmly
on his perch while his tail-feathers
were being pulled by every fresh aleck
Of a European nation that came along
with mischief in his mind. The news
Paper that advocated bristling cannon.
plenty Of ships, and adequate number
of troops, and ample ammunition was
charged with seeking to sic the nation
into war. The statesman. with pre-
science and presence of mind, who,
peering into the future, foresaw the
need of this equipment, was denounced
as cheap politician seeking votes.
There was Congressman Gardner,
who for years, in and out of Congress,
preached preparedness. He was call
Ell a lingo of the jingoes. When this
war came upon us, like a clap CT
thunder apparently out of the deep
blue, public sentiment shifted, and
when Mr. Gardner died recently at
Camp Wheeler he was eulogized then
as one of the first and foremost plead
efs for reparedness-and that was
considered the highest tribute paid
to his memory.
The "Jingo" today is a different
being, more highly esteemed citi-
zen. He is today the most patriotic
person. Unles he is lingo, he is
not considered sufficiently loyal. But
he is no longer alluded to as a jingo-
but as man who honors the flag Of
his country, regarding it as repre-
senting not only his own honor but the
fame of his sires and the future of
his sons. He is the man who believes
we should fght-fight to the finish
fight to the bitter end. He believes
that the Stars and Stripes should be
respected, not alone by the dishonor-
able Hun but by every nation on the
face of the globe, on all of the seven
seas that today mourn in flowing Grim
son.
But there are also the JabberWocks-
the designation, which is in the ma
ture of an epithet, comes from Brann,
that weaver of words and spinner Of
sentences. AS he says, they are
''lineal descendants of those American
Royalists who sneered at Washington,
DETAINED Jefferson, lied about Hamil-
ton, denounced Adams, and lent aid
and encouragement to the enemy
while our forefathers were starving
and freezing at Valley Forge" They
would have a buzzard cawing where
the eagle screams, and they would use
the Star Spangled Banner for shoe
shining cloth for the Kaiser's boots.
They are paciists, the obstructionists,
the captious critics, the pestiferous
politicians, the conscientious OBJ
jectors," these Jabberwocks They
are numerous in private life, but cow
ardly of heart they pursue their trait
orous trail with the craftiness of the
fox. The only difference between them
and the egg-sucking dog is that he
sucks his in the open and they suck
theirs sneakinglg in the dark or I'M