Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-20
IMPERTINENT PATRIOTEERINC
MERITS REBUKE
Bullying the Public Into Doing Its Duty Is a
Betrayal of American Liberty

Bullying the Public Into Doing Its DUTY Is
Betrayal of American Liberty
THE Pennsylvania Woman's Liberty
LOAN Committees prompt reputation
of bond bullying may properly be con-
strued as wholesome rebuke to the
whole noisy and "nosey" crew of prying
and inquisitorial "patrioteers," for
tunately small in number even If large
in noise.
A plea was made for the adoption here
of the so-called Minneapolis plan, in
volving a registration or census of all
the inhabitants of Philadelphia County
and estimates of the proportionate finan-
cial Responsibility" of each badgered in
dividual, coupled with the threat of pub
fishing the names of those persons fail
ing to buy bonds.
The clearheaded patriotism and alert
common sense of the committee which
has turned down this insolent and tyran-
nical scheme richly warrant applause.
The mere fact, however, that a proposal
of such effrontery was made and that
it is even to be put through in several
counties of the Third Federal Reserve
District is emphatically alarming.
Such tactics are painfully reflective of
a spirit of contempt for personal liber-
ties. Such tactics are altogether too
persistently being manifested in waves
of inquisitive hysteria insidiously rising
in land which has dedicated its life to
freedom.
The mere implication that Americans
hare TO be buIlied into patriotism is as
insulting as II is false. The right to be
resentful of methods thinly veneered
with meretricious ZEAL vet inherently
Prussian in their despotic character, is
unqualified and clear.
The pity Of it is that hundreds Of
thousands Of men and Women Who really
loce their country haze been looth to
protest. They have been gagged by the
very natural feeling that resistance to
the multiplicity of professional patriot
eering movement" nts"-movements on which
paid officials often throve-might be con-
strued as disloyalty. Such fears are
essentially groundless.
Every American of common intelli-
gence knows that the heart of his coun-
try beats in tune with its great ideal
and unalterable purpose. Bureaucratic
inquisitions, organized pestiferous prose-
lytizing are incapable of accelerating
those throbs. And even if they were not,
a country Which has to be broso5eaten
into saving itself is unworthy of free &c
istence.
Antidotes for the spasms of the
the name of liberty abuses the privi-
leges of freemen, intrudes on their pri-
vacy, lines them up in classes, tickets
their resources, cross-indexes their con-
fessions of proclivities, tastes, habits,
origins and bank accounts are seriously
needed today.
New York has just missed being VIC
timiZed by an impertinent question
naire' for potential loan purchasers.
The promoters of this dictatorial scheme
had contemplated using the police as
distributing agents. The Kaiser may
thus intimidate his hapless subjects, but
any imitation of his methods by us is
kind of fiattery of which we have right
to be deeply ashamed.
Fortunately, it was realized in Man
haitian that application of the draft ma
chinery, approved by the country only as
a necessary instrument in a crisis, is an
exceptional prerogative of the Federal
Government. Questionnaires circulated
by private individuals organized in
patrioteering bands come under the head
of unreasonable interference with the
rights of citizens.
E. Pusey Passmore, governor of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia,
has stated that no such inquisitionary
sheets would be utilized in the forthcom-
ing loan campaign here. That the idea
was even limited is disquietingly blood
heating. America is performing her
colossal Var task tUith such enthusiasm
and efficiency, the tone of genuine
patriotism is so high, the public is so
eager and willing TO help to the last
increment of its ability that it needs
neither to be patronized by the nell
meaning propagundists nor threatened
| by those of more dubious intent.
Everybody knows that the various
humanitarian and welfare organizations
| ha