The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-11
Patriotism That
Begins at Home

/ AhNA0Ohb'
She was up in the country board
ing, in the home Of good old Irish
family. There were number of
other guests in the house.
It seems that among them were
three persons who were against ev-
erything. They were against the
government; they were against the
President; they were against the
Congress.
Nothing was done right and the
world was all wrong, especially
America.
Little attention was given to the
prattle of these people, as they were
regarded as harmless in that they
rallied and ranted against law and
order, and contributed nothing them
selves.
But one day during meal, there
was general discussion of the peace
treaty and Americas pant in it.
These three guests showed particular
antagonism at everything the Amer
leans had done. And there was con-
siderable controversy, wherein the
little boarding house woman took a
hand herself, as she was serving the
meal.
She went to the head Of the table
and called for order. She spoke
something like this:
"Now I will ask you three people
calling them by names) to leave
my house at the conclusion of this
meal. Heaven knows I am poor and
need the money, but l don't need it
badly enough to feed people who are
dead against the country which has
given them their bread and butter.
"If you don't believe in this coun-
try get out Of it The very people
who are always running it down take
everything it gives them and con-
tribute nothing to its welfare.
"You have every opportunity and
every advantage; you are lawfully
safeguarded and secure in your
rights. You take all the advantages
of this country, and yet you have the
effrontery to blacken it as much as
possible.
81 believe in free speech, and as
long as you have been in this house
I have tried to bear with you on the
ground that this is a free country
and everybody should have the right
to say what he thinks, without abus-
ing the rights of free speech.
"When you stretch free speech to
such a point that you become sedi-
tious you have no rightful place un-
der an American roof.
"While I>was born in Ireland, this
is the country that has given me ev-
cry chance, and as long as | accept
it for my own / shall stand by it, and
no one may break bread at my table
and at the same time break all the
laws that pertain to patriotism.
~ would rather lost such patron
age, and gain the feeling that l have
given no comfort to an enemy of my
country"
Certainly we must respect this lit
tie boarding house woman who car
ried her patriotism into her pocket
book.
Many a profteer might we'll learn
lesson from her.
If every citizen who gives comfort
to the enemies of this country,
whether it be a meal or a high priced
automobile, would only act as this
true patriot has acted, we would
soon be rid of the fiighty fighters and
half baked theorists who continually
destroy but never construct.
1t is the personal touch, as usual,
that is needed in the scheme Of
things to forever wipe out the wrong
full influence in every community.
The truest kind of patriotism is
not that which unfurls the flag and
makes public hurrahs, but the little
act which is done at the moment
when it is needed most, as in the
case of this clearinghouse lady. In
word, the highest type of patriotism
is that which begins at home and
which is asserted at the moment it is
most needed.
A -