Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-11-03
NOW is THE TIME

the country"
So ran the sentence that was practiced by every school
boy and girl of a generation ago when they first began to write
with ink in their copy books.
Now, indeed, is the time for all who so laboriously penned
that sentiment as a writing lesson day after day to put it into
practice.
Unless men come to the aid of the country, uphold the
Constitution and stand by law and order, the whole structure
of this great republic, which our forefathers founded on such
broad and liberal principles, is likely to fall.
The success and perpetuaion Of American institutions
and American government are threatened more today than
ever before in the history of the country.
Two great crises have been successfully met by this re-
public. The first crisis came almost Immediately after the
nation was born. The colonies, after winning their lnde-
~pendence, were held together by what was known as a 1edera-
ton. 1t was merely a league of friendship between sovereign
states. 1t was soon seen that this federation would fall apart
AS a result the federal Constitution, which we now ENJOY, was
drawn up to knit the different states together into a strongl?
organized nation. 1t was a great struggle, but ne hS'ltuti
was finally adopted.
The second crisis in the affairs of the nation came when
certain southern states attempted to secede from the Union,
maintaining that any state had a right to withdraw "heh II De
came dissatisfied with the way the rest OF the states r"l
hing things-a claim that is very similar to the claim beng put
forth by Democratic orators in the gubernatorlal campaign III
New Jersey today when they declare that even though forty
five other states have ratified the prohibition amendment TO the
Constitution thereby making the whole country dry, prom
billion will not be made to apply in this state. When South
Carolina talked that way in 1860 it was called sedidon. The
Democrats are coming dangerously near sedllloh IN ue atu
Jude they have assumed on this prohibition issue today.
This is a nation, not a federation of states and when
Three fomths of the states that make up the nation agree to
certain principles, the rest of the states have got to acqulescel
whether the principles are to their liking or not.
Here, indeed, is reason enough why "all good men should
come to the aid of the country" And tomorrow, Election Day,
is the time for the good men to render that aid. Whether they
like prohibition or not, they should go to the polls tomorrow
and smite the agitation to nunify the Constitution, ignore the
law and defy the federal government a deadly blow through
the overwhelming defeat of Edward l. Edwards, the Demo
cratic candidate for governor, whose whole campaign OF prom
ising to make New Jersey wet means, if it means anything at
all, an attempt to ignore the Constitution of the United States
*gsTar as New Jersey is concerned, and resist the federal au-
thorities in their efforts to enforce the law of the land
The call tomorrow is for loyal men and true to walk up to
the polls and put aside personal feelings, individual likes and
dislikes and come to the aid of the country by unfolding the
Constitution and standing solidIy behind the government.
But this crisis that we face tomorrow is local in its scope
1t concerns Jerseymen only. This idea as to whether one
state can stand out alone in defiance of all the rest of the states
was settled, as far as the nation as a whole is concerned, when
South CaroInt tried it and failed nearly sixty years ago.
The great crisis that the nation Is facing today, the third
great crisis in its history, is nothing short of a social revolu-
ton, affecting the very foundation Of our everyday life. This
is the most critical because whatever the outcome in the two
great crises that have gone before the republican form of
government would have still prevailed, only through Different
Independent republics, as exist in South and Central America,
instead of one large and powerful nation as we have today.
Today, however, if the forces that are now at work threat
ening our organized system of government succeed in getting
control the result will be chaos. Instead of the republican,
form of government where every man., rich or poor, stands on
an equality and advances according to his own ambition and
merit, we will have the Russian system Of soviet government
with everything socialized under the jurisdiction of the state.
In Russia even the virtue of the women and the sanetity of the
home is threatened. There is a paralyzaton of industry, star
walton and untold distress.
Many pretend to claim that such a condition of affairs is
impossible here in America. But there are radical leaders who
are working energeically with that end in view although only
the most advanced leaders come out in the open and admit it,
The crisis must be met by both capital and labor in the
differences that exist between them. There must be a willing
ness on both sides to set aside individual and selfish aims for
The sake of the whole people and the nation. There is entirely
too much of a loose, care-free, don't-give-a-hang attitude on
the part of many Of us.
tits time for sober thinking, careful speaking and cautious
action if we are to see the nation weather this crisis as success
fully as it has the other crises through which it has passed.
Begin tomorrow, then, and smite the mere suggestion Of
defiance toward our constitutional government and while the
forces of unrest stalk so boldly abroad keep constantly in mind
that old copy book motto-"NOw is the time for all good men
to come to the aid of the country"