The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-11-14

AXE we mIndIul, as We SnO0ld De
that in the words of Governor Cool
idge of Massachusetts, There is nc
right to strike against the public safe
ty any time. anywhere" adding, for
any cause"
Shah we return soldiers remain
supine and without effort while such
attempts are made to destroy our ma
tional and industrial security?
And politics? What of themt
They tell us that we must keep out
of politics. AS a body, yes. AS in.
dividuals, no. Why do they say that
we shall not mix in politics? 1t is
because they fear us, the political
boss and his crew, the gum shoe poll.
tician and his motely crew. They
know that we who have borne the
best OF the day in armed defence OF
that priceless heritage with which
they trifle will not allow the political
sale of our national birthright for the
pottage of party politics, the right
to see that the best the union, the
state, the county, the city, the town,
can produce is none too good to fill
public office, to represent the people
@We may not use our membership
in the American Legion, our part in
the war, our association with its
martyred dead to clear our own or
another members path to office that
is within the gift of the ballot box
We may not use the force of our or
ganization or our connection with IL
to purchase or demand votes.
But We can, ana please God we
shall. use all these moral advantages
to putty the political as well as the
indussiA iAf ara social atmosphere. Il
we cannot control votes we can form
public opinion. We can protest
abuse, denounce political chicanery
demand the observance and tbs
guarantee of these rights vouchsaf
ed to us by federal and state consti
tuition. We can hunt cut the cha
latan and brand him as such. W.
/ can seek the agitatOr, political, in
dustrial, or religious, and publiclY
condemn him. 1t is our right as cit
, liens and as men who have giyer
the best that is ii them in defer-f
of 100 per cent Americanism to de
nounce. alien propaganda, alien at
tempt to discredit disrupt, or com
promise American institutions, and
demand the deportation Of the propa
gator We must labor with might
and main to secure "America fol
Americans, native born or natural
ized, whose devotion to the ideals
and traditions and institutions of oU'
country is so obvious, so genuine, as
to be beyond doubt. And in all these
things we shall be but true to oul
slogan: "Policies-not Politics"
1T is good policy to defend the
institutions of the nation and its
political and social ideals. 1t is pol
tics to trifle with them.
Gentlemen. our 'buddies' died tc
win the war. let us live to wiz
the peace, and having won it, to keeI
it. The nations expect great things
of us. Let us not disappoint them
They stayed at home and prayed and
gave-gave till it hurt-that we
might have comfort and pleasure il
such degree as is consonant with the
life of a soldier. We return TO them
as men who have seen the vision
the vision of things as they are and
as they should be. Let US actual.zt
that vision in our lives, bringing
each to his own community. to his
own home circle the newness Of
thought, the purity of action, the Sc
briefly OF speech, the devotion tc
principle and to right. and devote
ourselves to carry on in the world
redemption for which our brothers
our 'buddies died.
1T is our duty, before God and il
our countrv's eyes. to join this legior
Of four million men who have cone
back to leayen the nation with the
jusice for which we fought to keel
alive in the hearts OF our posterity
these new ideals. 1t is our duty II
! defend against plI comers our poll
teal ideals as they were handed dowr
to us by our forefathers. It is oul
duty to protest inmorality, TO upholG
civic ideals, to prevent social crime
| and combat the evils that follow in it
train.