Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-01-17
LET Us RETAIN AMERICAN
TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES


This country over here is a fine
one to visit but it is so far behind
ours in every other respect that | am
going to be always satisfied with the
United States hereafter.
The above is the closing paragraph
from letter from a man who enlist
ed shortly after the war started and
has been on the other side about a
year, says the Industrial News Blu
reau.
Little does he know what a strong
effort is being made by the socialist
politicians in this country to Euro
peanize" and "paternalize" this ma
tion in his absence.
This man has seen the lack of ini-
tiative in the common people In coun-
tries where the government controls
the great utilities such as the trans
portation, telephone and telegraph
systems as we'll as other lines of in
dustry.
He has been in country where the
common people" never heard of
such things as telephones and electric
lights in their homes These con-
veniences were for the rich and ''offi-
cial class" only. The government con-
trolled the supply and there was no
competition and so why furnish cheap
phones and juice to the "people?"
This is simply an illustration of
the system.
This man expects to come home
to country such as he left where
the private individual was at liberty
to develop, and grow and build up
business under the protection of
constitution guaranteeing him these
rights.
He doesn't expect to come home
and find his country "Europeanized"
and 'paternalized" so that the door
is forever closed to him as a private
citizen to enter the fled of railroad
ing, the telephone. telegraph, or cable
business, the maratime industry as a
private owner of ships and numerous
other lines.
This man the same as thousands of
other Americans would never be sat
isfied to be mere cypher all his life
and draw pay as a government clerk
with no chance of advancement, or
hold down soft berth on ship with
soft bed and good meals as so al
Turing pictured by Mr.. Hurley in
his program of complete government
operation of the entire. American mer-
chant marine.
This man doesn't want to be pet
ted and pampered and made a mere
ward of the government.
He wants an Americans chance to
build and develop along lines Of indi-
vidual initiative under the protection
Of the American flag.
This man little realizes that while
he has been away from home fight
ing for democracy in foreign lands, an
organizad movement has been start
ed in his own country to control the
opportunities which have heretofore
been the birthright of every Amer
lean.
Men like this American saved the
world from German autocracy and
he fought because he believed in the
freedom of the individual.
Is he to come home to a country
honeycombed with socialism and
ready to establish am official aristoc-
racy to control virtually every move
Of an American citizen.
He has seen this system in opera
ton in foreign lands and he is long
ing for the day when he can come
back to the good old U. s. as he
knew it before the war.
Whether you be laboring man or
capitalist, this is your country and
It is going to be up to you to decide
you stay with American ira
1itions and principles or step back
ward one hundred years and switch
% system which brought about
world war.