The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-07

newly United we stand, divided we
fall" There is only one brand of
Americanism that will meet the acid
test. All substitutes must be made
over or destroyed. You are either
thing as being neutral There are
different degrees of being for or
against, but you cannot be a zero
they are all dead; but the 100 per
cent American who passed away still
lives and his influence carries on
while the low grade and minus ones
have passed from memory as well
as from the earth.
The political campaign is over. Let
us look back at some of the incidents
and view them from the angle of the
newly arrived immigrant. The meth
cd of picking the candidates has been
explained to him that he imagined
both parties picked the biggest and
best men to lead them, men who
would be the opposite Of those who
ran his old country. The orators
candidate (according to the orator. is
all a man should be, and is going
to do marvellous things. But the 9TH
lowers! 'They are everything men
should not be. They will sell out the
country TO the enemy, to foreign in
terests, are against labor are owned
by the trusts, are opposed to the
hearers, religion, ETC." and the ty-
rant, the immigrant escaped from
appear to be angels by comparison. He
went into the other camp and heard
the same line of talk about the first
candidate. On the street he heard
unprintable things about both men.
So did our own children. Is this
Americanism? Some shrug their shoul-
ders and say Politics" just as other
things were excused with q shrug
and the words too much rotten
booze" Rotten politics will have to
follow the same trail taken by rotten
booze If We expect to maintain a
united front against the encroach-
ments of bolshevism and other isms
that are un-American and are eating
into our very vitals.
Let us come right down to our
own state. Do you know that foreign
languages, German among them, are
being used as the only medium Of
instruction in some of our public
schools, not among immigrants, but
among American born children? Do
you know our young are being taught
in the public schools Of this state
by teachers who are agitating against
our form Of government, who are
enemies Of our government and the
institutions which are the foundation
stones on which we are builded? The
American Legion has taken these mat
ters up and the legislature will act
upon them at the coming session.
They are mentioned here to en-
phasize the fact that Americanization
is not confined to the immigrant
alone, and you do not have to live
among them to take part in the work.
II you are good American you
are taking an interest in the affairs
of your town, your schools, your
highways and all public affairs. Yet
l met a man the other day who has
lived here for years conducting a
lucrative business, who has never
cast a ballot. What degree Of Am
erican is he? But when something
goes wrong, men of this type are
the first to howl, the first to knock.
Destructive, not constructive. The
right of suffrage is not only a privi-
lege. but it is a responsibility that
no one can shirk and be called a
good American. Ardmore is proud
of its school system, which is second
to none In the state or country. DO
you know what they are doing
their problems? Or are you one OF
those who demand exorbitant rent
from under-paid school teachers, until
it looked doubtful whether or not
they could be retained to teach the
coming generation and fit them to
become 100 per cent Americans?
We have just passed through the
biggest revival in our history, and
are experiencing the back wash tina;
follows after any high tide. New
converts have been added, and many
new workers. The American Legion
has added nearly 100000 new work
ers to the cause of Americanism'
Many people have become luke-warm
and there have been back-sliders.
The need for the work in Ameri-
canization is evident all around us
The field is at your doorstep You
don't have to go to the docks, the
industrial centers, the mines or into
the large cities to find work to do
Start with yourself first Read tn,
preamble to the constitution Of III,
American Legion again. Cut it ou
and frame it where you can have II
before you. You don't have to b,
member to live up to its aims. Un
selfishness, honor, loyalty, progress
humanity. peace. Construction. 4
government of the people, for tn,