Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1920-06-04
THE CANDIDATES. AND AMERI
CANISM.

have insisted that eve must be
Amcrcans-w what we need is ii man
for President who is Il real Amcri
can" The implication seems to have
been, that there are candidates for
the Presidency, and vast number of
the people of America, who are not
real, out and out Americans AS a
matter of fact, the rank and file of
Americans are Americans, true and
tried. Barring few Reds and !. w.
WIS Geman sympatnizcrs and Il few
leaders who are Americans for rev
enue only" this country is composed
of hundred million or more true
Americans differing only in Ilc
manner of administration or app'i-
cation of the principles involved. The
principle of Amcricanism is not ac-
CURED but innate. Equal privileges
to all' is a divine, Unborn principle.
recognized all over the world, among
all peoples, tongues and tribes Only
an opportunity to put in into force
and effect is necessary to prove that
this is true. Freedom: he right OF
every man and nation to govern him
self without let or hindrancc and that
no man has the right to rule another
man without that other mans con-
sent.
The Declaration of independence
of the United States was Il concrete
statcmrnt-and the first the world
had seen or heard of Amcricanism
and democracy. setting out in plain
language, an expression of heaven
born God-givcn principles, applicable
to all men, sufficiently flexible to he
rendered applicable 10 all times and
conditions of men rs well.
Another great Declaration of In
dependence is the League of Nations,
framed chiefly by Americas great
est American and Democrat The
League of MAJ. $ and the Trcga,y OF
Peace, are applications of the same
great principles rs set forth in our
Declaration of independence and
Constitution-clcar concise, unset
fish application Of democracy for the
world. And the world has accepted
the statements as such, and glorics
in them
Is it too much to say, that Il belief
in and adherence and devotion to, the
Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution OF the United States, is
the crucial test of Americanism?
Can citizen of this great country
be justly entitled to be called or
rlaim to be, ii true American who
does not subscribe to and believe in
the fundamental principles of dcmoc-
racy as set forth in these immortal
declarations?
The League of Nations takes its
place in Il wider and more extern
sivc application of these great pln-
ciples. True democracy cannot be
confined between four walls, or con-
fined by oceans OF continents. All
men and nations, created by the same
great God, have equal rights to the
possession and enjoyment of the
opportunities of the blessings be-
qucathcd TO mankind. This blessing
the League of Nations was drawn to
confer rs far rs possible for human
beings to accomplish. What we are
trying to get at is, that rejection of
the ;nciplcs of the League of Ma
tons, Stamps the reflector Unameri-
can IL the broadcast and happiest
sense. TO be a citizen OF the United
States is an honor rs we'll as priv
ilege. To be citizen of the world is
a greater honor and Il wider privilege
Mr.. Johnson said recently, 81 do not
care to be a citizen of the world u
How is it possible to be true Amer
lean and not at least wish to be n
citizen of the world? Either Mr.
Johnson or the writer of these lines
and number of greater men and
minds, do not know what American.
ism means. Mr.. Roosevelt said:
"Americanism is question of spirit
conviction and purpose, not Greco
or birth place."
1t is not contcndcd here that The
language of the League of Nation.
and the Treaty could not be mad,
clearer by change and revision in som,
of its provisions, but principles nect
not be-cannot be revised. TIL,
Bible has been revised more tina,
once, but its Divine principles an,
truths remain. AS no man can justl,
claim to be Christian who does no
accept the fundamental teachings o
the Bible-ethe most perfect democra