The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-12-26

SAAoIu States senate HEtt lew 9th
ers. But waving thai te necessity
of forward movements here: there
is forward movement all of us.
inividuals, churches, a. tions. that
do not keep step are goa to get left.
Every business man KIN that when
business conditions cha ge, he must
adopt his methods or g 1der. 1t is
a biological law, that is, law of life:
and violation thereof II cans death.
What is right enough at ne time be-
comes wrong at another The United
States, for instance, was wise and
right in developing her life in isolation
and avoiding "entangling alliances
during the first period of her exis-
lance. 1t was necessary as it is for
the eaglet to stay inside his unbroken
egg she'll for while. But the time
comes for that eggshell to be broken
and for the eaglet to come out When
that moment arrives, not to break the
smell means death.
When Moses launched the Deca-
logue, laying the foundation of family
and political life in morality and that
in religion, he took the leadership
of the world; and whoso did not line
up with him lost out. When Jesus
of Nazareth raised the standard of
world wide brotherhood, regardless
of race; saying, neither in Jerusalem
nor in Mt. Gerizim shall men worship
God, who is Spirit, and Independent
OF place, He created new environ
ment which all had to meet or suffer
the consequences. Jerusalem had
done valiant service in and for the
world-much better than Gerizim-
but she failed to catch the vision OF
the new day and in A. D. 20 she was
laid in the dust. Professionalism does
not represent the all of true Chris
tianity, and as has been we'll said.
THE Reformers were not any more
infallible than the Pope; but the
right and ability of the individual to
come into union with God, through
Faith: and the right Of the individual
conscience to be free from ecclesias-
teal autocracy, had to be represented:
and those nations which did not heed
the call failed TO catch step with
progress. If other nations lost some.
what from weakened authoriay, these
lost that initiative which comes from
individuality.
So much on progress in general, be-
cause the trouble with many oppon.
ents of "the" or any League of Ma
tons, is that they are unwilling to get
a move on them at all. They do not
wish to be bothered. Still, it is fair
question: Why a League of Nations?
In the minds of some, it interferes
with ntional sovereignty. 1t mixes up
in other folks quarrels. 1t is incom-
patible with true Americanism. Why,
then, a League of Nations?
Well, in the first place, some sort
is necessary in order TO protect the
weak nations from the aggressions of
any national bully that might start out
on a rampage.
In the next place, a League of Ma,
tons is necessary in order TO put force
behind international law Information.
al law means law regulating, or in
tended to regulate, the conduct of ma.
tions toward each other But what
is keeping nations from regarding in
ternational law as a mere scrap Of
paper? Ard what is the good of in
ternational law if no one is going to
pay attention to it except when It
suits him?
Moreover, every nation has world
wide responsibility, in proportion to
its idealism and its power of men ana
means. True patriotism does not con
sist in standing for ones own country
right or wrong, against any other
country. wrong or right. 1t consists
in loyalty to the ideals for which that
nation stands. 1t may be necessary
and generally is for the individual
citizen to submit the question of right
or wrong, in any particular issue, to
the judgment of the country as a
whole or TO those to whom the power
to decide has been delegated; but in
principle no nation has a right to do
wrong; and true patriotism, l repeat,
consists in allegiance to the highest
ideals of ones country, and not in
saying, with Senator Lodge. "Ameri-
ca is my ideal; silly sentiment, by
the way. An intelligent man ought to
ask, What is the true ideal for Amer