The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1919-02-15
Courage and Common Sense

wee PRESIDENT MdrSnali recently
declared that those who are unwill-
ing to seek redress for grievances in
orderly and constitutional ways
should be taught. peaceably if we
can and forcibly if we must, that our
country is not an international board
ing house or an anarchistic cafe"
This weeks Saturday Evening Post
has the following editorial regarding
the cause Of the present unrest in this
country and a cartoon showing
drove of foreign Bolshevik and l. w.
WIS being herded up the gang
plank of an Atlantic liner bound for
Europe:
The bill recently introduced in
Congress providing for the deporta-
ton of interned alien enemies is a
good beginning. It. is bill with in
cisors, but it lacks molars. A dainty
little peck at this alien-enemy busi-
ness is not enough. Deportation of
a small and relatively insignificant
group of Germans who were caught
with the goods is not enough. Like
much American legislation this bill
does not go to the root of the trouble.
A group of even more dangerous
alien enemies, made in Germany and
finished in Russia, is operating in
America to-day. They are conspir-
ing against our institutions and he7-
ing to loot our country. We are not
50 short of tonnage that we cannot
spare some for them. One shipload
of Bolshevik agitators started home
for Russia via Siberia and second
shipload started home for Germany
would end the whole business.
Has Congress the courage and the
common sense to act? In the past
it has usually been more given to
catching a snake alive and counting
its rattles and trying to tame it. than
to stamping on its head. This is not,
however. domestic snake, but one
of the well-known German viper fam
lily. We should have learned by this
time no to play with that breed.
Courage and common sense would
have prevented almost every evil
with which we are contending to-
day. A little simple root legislation
passed when the problems were young
would have done what a multitude
of repressive' laws have since been
powerless to effect. These measures
were so obvious that they were not
statesmanship-only common sense.
The need for drastic legislation to
restrict immigration has been ap-
parent for some time. Congress
finally passed a law that requires the
would-be immigrant to tell how far
he has progressed in the Second Read
er or something equally searching.
If it had decided to be real nasty it
would doubtless have prescribed an
examination in the new dance steps.
The real trouble with Americans is
that there are not enough of them
and that the rank and file do not
make themselves decisively heard in
matters of legislation. They believe
in their country and their institutions
with all their hearts. and are inclined
to let it go at that. Of late years,
too, they have been in danger of be-
ing overwhelmed by mass of un-
digested aliens. True. a large mum
ber of these foreigners are good ma
terial for citizenship. but they have
poured in too fast for proper assiini-
lation. And while they are in transit
tion state from the customs. methods
and institutions of the Old World to
those of the New, speaking English
imperfectly or not at all. they are
easily misled and preyed on by dis
honest demagogues and agitators.
One of the great tasks ahead of our
generation is the teaching of our
ideals and our language to these men.
. Ii we let in new flood of foreigners
before we do this the melting pot
uill end up as a garbage pail.
i T. Among Americans there is no real