The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-04

and from the lowliest of all homes arose a poor and friendless boy to be our leader. Who does not know tpe story of the Rail Splitter and of his progress from the log cabin in whicn he was born to the presidency of the United States? From his great warm heart. Abraham Lincoln still insipres us with the truest lessons of life. Tn these simple words Abraham Lincoln i holds out the opportunity which the United States offers to all who a,e i honestly striving.
 NOW there is no such relation be- | tween capital and labor as is assumed, nor is there any such thing as free man being fixed for life in the -coDdi- | tion of a hired laborer The prudent, penniless beginner in tdN world labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land for himself, then labors on his | own account another while. and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This is the just and gen erous and prosperous system which | opens the way to all, gives hope t. all, and consequent energy and prog ress and improvement of condition 10 all"
 Toilers who have come to our shores from other lands and who have found opportunity and advancement here have also paid their tribute of devo- tion to the United States.
 The Swedish inventor. John Fries son. builder of the ironclad Monitor, which at critical period changed tre fortunes of our Civil war, wrote to Lincoln:
 Attachment to the union alone i'm pels me to offer my services at this fearful crisis-my life, if needed be-in the great cause which Providence has called you to defend'
 Another immigrant who found rec ognition and success in America was the Polish scholar, Michael Heilprin. He used his great influence among his people in this country to lead them to true American citizenship. In de- fense of law and order he wrote:
 "A so-called revolutionary doctrile !. is no more than fanaticai madness or recklessness. the offspring of despair. historical ignorance, Cr selfish, designing demagogism."
 Among Americans of Irish race none was more conspicuous for patriotic de- votion to this country than the enli- nent prelate, Archbishop Ireland. Speaking from the loftiest conceptions of duty. he said:
 No other country deserves so well of it's people, and no other is so de- pendent on its people as America. We receive from America the right to vote
 
 if we cannot use our privilege as Americans we should surrender 1t. Efforts to concentrate immigrants in social groups and to retard their prog ress should be forced down."
 And so example could follow exam pie to emphasize and symbolize the devotion and loyalty to their adopted country of the leaders among foreign nationalities who have sought and found haven in the United States.
 Very recently there died a great and good American, leaving to us the priceless inheritance of his memory. How true to the American spirit are these words of Theodore Roosevelt:
 Speaking broadly, prosperity must come to all of us or to none of us. pity no man because he has to work. If he is worth his salt, he will work. envy the man who has a work worth doing, and does it well. There never has been devised, and there never will be devised, any law which will en- able man to succeed save by the ex- ercise of those qualities which have always been the prerequisites of suc- cess the qualities of hard work, of keen intelligence, of unflinching will.'
 The memories of these great men gather about us and plead with us to be Americans, as Americans to be loyal to the Constitution of the United States. and as citizens to be just in our dealings with one another. They teach us that industry and thrift are necessary in a free land, and that se- curity of property and of the fruits of toll are essential to liberty
 Such, in brief, are some of the prin- ciples that have made America as great as she is free These principles are in danger today, just as they were when our forefathers fought to estab- fish them Is it not fitting that each of us on this IndepencShce Day, renew his loyal allegiance to our country, it's institutions and it's laws?
 Copyright, 1919, by National Indus trial Conference Board, Boston, Mass)