The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-04-29
| letters from the People

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The Kennewick Courier-Reporter:
An open letter to the people of Ken
newick.
My presence at the dinner served by
the Catholic ladies at the K. of r
hall on Wednesday, April 21st, gave
me an opportunity of witnessing an
affair that would be envied by many
community. You believe in Kenne-
wick first, last and all the time.
believe that Kennewick has future,
but the exhibition of good will dis
played by non-catholics in their effort
to improve the financial condition OF
their catholic friends was, to me, an
object lesson. have decided that
Kennewick has come to stay. Why ?
I had intended giving my reasons
right on the floor in the hall to the
mixed gathering. The fact that re-
lays were necessary, that knives and
forks clatter, that the ladies waiting
were hard pressed, that the charge
d'affairs in the culinary department
could not be halted, changed my
plans to the "power of the press"
The community spirit is in the air
so is bolshevism-the former thrives
on unity and harmony, the latter alb
hores them. The United States are
built, on them. We of Kennewick re-
cognize these things and furthermore
understand that the greatest of all
wars is a "Holy War" and to this
latter the people of Kennewick said:
by actions louder than words, "get out
and stay out" Good for Kennewick.
Competition is the soul of business,
as the soul verifies man and is in
destructible. Agitation is the death
of business, as the body is party to
the. destruction of the higher aspira-
tons of the soul and is perishable.
We welcome competition at home
and with outside communities, COM
merce commissions are instituted for
this purpose, we need rail service and
therefore realize that capital is nee
iessary, but at the same time claim
that labor has right to living wage
in proportion to living conditions.
but we decry antagonism on the above
points because it tends to destruction
rather than construction.
Moreover we consider as ynwel-
come, antagonism on all points and as
1 said that war, which is the epitome
of antagonism, is strongest when it
stimulates the idea of Holiness"
We consider it blessing in COM
munity when all of such thing is
absent. We all believe in the Flag,
''The Stars and Stripes" yet the gov
eminent has the God-given wisdom
to raise the pennant of the cross
above the Stars and Strips when the
Chaplain comes aboard a battleship
for divine services.
Here friends, is our inspiration,
whatever creed we may follow, we
must recognize that under that BAN
ner there is the greatest of all unities
and in unity there is strength. The
American dollar tells us that we are
F"Epluribus Unum" Zone out of many
and this should give US an inkling from
the constitution that united we stand,
divided we fall. Difference of creed
should be no criterion of social diff
ference. Much less Of community
misunderstanding, for it is no obstac-
lie to world wide union.
From a contemplation Of these
things find that Kennewick is build
ing upon a lasting foundation, for
it realizes that no superstructure can
survive faulty one and this guar
antee that the straw shows which way
the wind blows, people Of Kennewick,
you have my thanks and my congratu-
lations.
REV. JOHN E. LYONS,
Catholic Pastor.