The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-05-01
ARE YOU AN AMERICAN,


II % 60
Do You Realize that Ignorance Cause
\ the Downfall of Russia and that bu
4 . Step Divides Ignorance" froa
i Lack Of Interest,"" Can You Still
Think, or 10 Your Brain Machine,
Made" Too!
BY Harry r. Wcllman
In these days of business and social
reconstruction when you are familiar
ly calling every man with whom you
do not agree either Bolshevik. a
Spartacan or Red, would II not be n
trifie saner to sec If you could con-
scientiously call yourself an American
citizen?
Does "My Country" mean anything
to you or does II give you headache :?
Does il make you think or does it drive
you to a cabaret show to forget !?
Does it fill you with vague unrest at
your own shorteoming or does II drive
you to your machine-made home,
where your wife in machine made
dress turns on machine-made music TO
divert you until your machine-made
supper or dinner is poured out Of a
can?
Is your thinking machine-made,
too?
DO you know that the model of
Kerensky's government was taken
from Barnes History of the United
States? Do you know that Bolsheyih
means simply "the many" and that the
excesses committed in its name are not
defended by Lenine nor even by
Trotsky? Do you know that the
Soviet nearly resembles our own town
meetings and that the original plan
called for the development of leaders
who should meet much as our State
legislatures meet and that these meet
ings in turn should elect representa-
tives to national assembly"
Do you know that the failure of
these plans and the excesses commit
ted in the name of Bolshevism were
simply and directly the result Of the
ignorance of the people? Do you re-
alize that but step divides 'ignor-
ance" and "lack of interest" in the
case of peoples and governments +? Is
your refusal to think any less culpable
than their inability to think?
For goodness sake, wake up.
We seem almost to have become
luxury-loving, machine
made people. Comparative wealth
has been easy. We could buy every
thing-pleasures, clothes, luxuries and
necessities-ma -machine-made. We have
created nothing individually. Our
children know not the wood-box or the
use Of a jacknife. They are "steam-
heated" into the world and taxi-cabbed
out. We move from breakfast to desk,
to dinner, to theatre, to bed, to desk
again. Ii any Of our friends start
thinking out loud, we cut them out.
We have nearly forgotten how and it
seems almost too much trouble to start |
again.
That "almost" may be our salvation.
Try it once more. For the sake of
yourself, your children, your friends,
your country, try to read the follow
ing ''Credo." 1t doesn't matter wheth-
ar you agree with all of it or not. II it
starts you thinking, it will have es-
tablished its purpose.
Am An American Citizen
believe in the principles of govern
ment established for my country by
the makers of the American Consti-
tuition.
believe that in cur rapid growth
and expansion, certain economic and
social changes have developed which
need prompt adjustment.
believe these adjustments can best
be secured by law and order rather
than by violence and disorder.
believe no one class or group is re-
sponsible for existing conditions but
that all classes and groups are
equally responsibly. II
believe that many Of the changed
and undesirable conditions were
brought about naturally by our tre-
mendous expansion and increase Of
wealth.
believe that some Of the changed
and undesirable conditions were
brought about by the beginning Of a
shortage of the natural raw mater
ials such as lumber, coal, metals and
ores.
believe that new laws must be
drafted by honest, clear-thinking r
men and enforced by honest, clear t
thinking citizens. s
believe that capital has been guilty y
Of the error Of considering itself Of {
supreme Importance in the scheme 8
Of things. v
believe that organized labor has =
been equally guilty and short-sight- i
ed. In
believe that as citizens, we have v
failed TO perform our duty in free G
ing politics and organizations from D
petty selfshness and personal dis Il
honesty. a
believe that the apparent never n
ending supply of raw material has /,
made wealth SO easy and luxury so 5,
that we have failed in our
responsibility as individuals.
believe we are personally respon- Z