Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-02-28
EDITOR RATHOM
SOUNDS KEYNOTE
For "Americanism" - Nonpartisan
League Places Personal. Gain And
Notoriety Above All Thought
OF Country.
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 28-Specia

minnesota Editorial ASSOCIATION is
holding its annual meeting here yes
terday and today with a record at |
tendance of editors from all parts of |
the state. The keynote of the meeting
is "Americanism." This evening the
editors and their wives were the
guests of The Minneapolis Tribune
at a dinner at the West hotel. John
R. Rathom, editor of the Providence
Journal who had been invited as a
special guest, but who was prevented
from being present by his engage
ments in Washington where he is tes-
tifying before the Jundiciary commit
tee of the House in their investiga-
ton of espionage during the war and
of seditious agitations, wired the fol-
lowing message to the Minnesota edi-
tors, which was read at the dinner:
RATHOM's MESSAGE TO PRESS.
"In speaking to editors OF Mime
sofa newspapers, l want you to un-
derstand how glad l am of the oppor-
tunity, more particularly, because l
consider that the gravest problem of
social and economic unrest which fac
es US in this country today is being
fought out in the immediate neigh
borhood that surrounds you in your
daily work. 1t it is true, as all of the
men in our profession believe it to
be true that the vital function of
newspaper, after presenting the news
truthfully to its readers, is to stand
in the forefront of the battle for hu-
man progress and patriotism, then it
is also true that you men sitting here
onight are unquestionably the advance
guard of the defense against those
forms of propaganda which uncheck-
ed must mean the destruction of our
national life and civilization.
81 consider the Nonpartisan league
to be not only born of the worst and
most reactionary ideas of men who
place personal gain and notoriety
above all thought of country, but to
contain within itself all the tawdry,
dishonorable and shameless tenets of
everything that is bad in Socialism,
communism and Bolshevism.
SOCIALISM FOUNDED IN DIS
HONOR"
"The broad spirit of liberalism in
which our Western country has grown
up, and at least the partial isolation
of farming districts, has created fer
tile soil for those who would destroy
the republic and substitute chaos for
decent government Let there be no
mistake about the character and
teachings of Socialism. I will guar
antee to prove to any fairminded man
in one hour, from the lips and books
of all the Socialist leaders of the last
two generations, that this particular
faith, of which the Nonpartisan lea
que is but an excresence, is founded
in dishonor, cannot succeed without
the destruction of the home, and
points it's filthy dagger directly at the
heart of everything loyal Americans
should hold dear
WOULD NOT AWAIT DIRECT
ACTION.
"a great many good people in the
present condition of social unrest feel
that we must protect so-called free
dom of speech to the limit, and that
unless and until agitators advocate
what is known as "direct action they
should be left severely alone. This
form of reasoning l cannot under
stand. Why should we wait till the
moment when direct action is brought
about and fail to stop the mouths OF
those who by their teachings of half
baked minds are breeding the germs
of national disaster.
"The whole question in my opinion
narrows itself down to this: Is what
the forefathers suffered and died for
is what the succeeding generations
have implanted on this continent
worth preserving or not? In this pre-
cious thing that has been handed dowr
to us through the long years of sacri
flee and suffering a tawdry, worth
less imitation that can be cast aside
at a moments notice, or is it the mos
precious thing that has come into th'
lives of men since forms of govern
ment were born upon this earth?
GOVERNMENT BEST YET DE-
>yISED.
"No government is perfect. Chang
es are vitality necessary to correc
past mistakes by the light OF OK
perience and increasing wisdom, but
incomplete and imperfect as it is, thi
government Of ours is the best tha
has Been devised by human beings
Are we TO stand idly by, with foIde
hands, and see the torch of progress
and advancement, the sanctity OF tn
home. the real brotherhood OF mar
bassd on SELF respect and mutual re
enect our flag, our laws, our hnnaa'