The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-05-27
ARE YOU AN AMERICAN

AXE YOU AN AMERlCANY
In the last few months the Bureau of NATURAL
cation, U. S. Department of Labor, has distrib-
uted to public schools upward of la, ZOO copies
of its textbook on citizenship, authorized by
act of Congress, May 9, 1913. Besides this, thou
sands of candidates for citizenship have been
awarded certificates of graduation by the Blu
has been completed, and that the graduates are
prepared to undertake the duties of citizenship
with the full understanding of those duties.
In Boston there have been successfully COM
pleted series of examinations. There school
of citizenship has been started from which al
ready $50 aliens have been graduated. These
graduates have themselves instructed large
classes of foreigners, one teacher having within
three months taught $50 aliens and assisted them
to get their naturalization papers.
And this is all very well, as far as it goes. But
it does not go far enough. The schools should
be extended beyond the confines of the public
schools and the aliens in this country, and classes
in citizenship might well be conducted with much
profit to those born and bred in this country.
1t might even be that these schools of Ameri-
canization might with profit to this country be
conducted within our legislative halls and within
our senate chambers.
If ever there time in the United States
of America when needed to acquaint ourselves
with the great fundamental principles of liberty,
that hour has struck. And while we are teaching
the men and women from foreign lands the prin-
ciples of democratic government, it might be well
for those of us who born heirs to these prin-
ciples to take counsel with ourselves, and decide
whether of not we are worthy of our steward
ship.
In every crisis in which the United States has
been involved a great leader has arisen to steer
this Ship of State into harbor of safety That
is a hackneyed metaphor, but truth is always
more or less hackneyed.
Washington was maligned, but that he a
great man, and that he was largely responsible
for founding this republic, no one will deny.
Lincoln was maligned in his day, was laughed
at, and held up in desirion, particularly by mem
bers of his own cabinet. But north and south, II
spite of the awful carnage of the civil war and
the terrible days of reconstruction, Lincoln
stands as one of the wisest leaders of men.
Wilson is today the most maligned man on the
face of the earthly TRAITORS IN HIS OWN
COUNTRY. Those of his own household seek tc
discredit him.
No one who has made study of the man viii
deny his human qualities. No one will claim that
his administration has been perfect. No one
will say that he has not made mistakes. So did
Washington, and Jefferson, and Lincoln.
But no one deny that Wilson is the great
est man that this era has produced. He has made
mistakes. He viii continue to make mistakes
But spending time in criticism of the mistakes
of Wilson, will not in any way change the vic
torious outcome of this war, unless it CHANGES
IT FROM VICTORY TO DEFEAT.
Here are few of the things that the United
States has to be thankful for, and which it owes
to Wilson and his administration:
WE WON THE WAR. 1t may have cost us
lot of money to win it, and lot of money may
have been wasted in the winning, but we won
with less bIoodshed than any other nation in
volved in the war AND THERE is NOT A
MOTHER IN THIS COUNTRY WHO WOULD
NOT RATHER SEE MONEY WASTED THAN
TO SEE HER SON SACRIFICED.
All the Bolsheviki are not in ambush. Some