Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-07-29
ONCE UPON A TIME

posts of every This nation composed OF millions OF
intelligent and well who had built great An
dustra system, great educational system and poTeru h
tbv and beautiful cities they the millions of
of fertile farm lands and produced almost Inc tdd
great dug immense canals and had oher re-
markabe engineering feats And through AL heSe s t
by political and time even by civil stre yet
h democratic principles and had welcomed other lands
oppressed and the down-trodden offering all Su e @
of their great country and the opportunities ""' "e
the founders of this great and mighty nation tnos
sagaciou who caught the vision Of the
years had abored hard to impress upon the people n
principles and pecedents Among these to be found the
principles of absolute equality and freedom OF hospitality ama
alliances with other and powerful foreign countries
Recognizing the fact that Nature itself had suea
separation upon miles of which she had
placed between this country and the other countries 6oh
the quarre of centuries but not forgotten
would mbroed in conflict this and that TINS pre-
cednt along with the other principles advocated was adopted
and lived up to for many years.
But there time when of these foreign nations
the backed by history of sefshness and intrigue
unparalleled by that of other nation built up mighty war
around her. territory and wealth and alb
hored the democratic principles OF their governments because
% aor nen cast GREEDY ewes nSn the great nation so far
that nation which had successfully main
tanned the policy of aloofness for many years
mighty motion without warning hoping that be-
of her secret system and her systematic propaganda
which had been disseminated to the furthermos ends of the
earth she might take advantage of the unpepaedness OF other
the democratic principles that
through all the had spreading the world be-
worth
But Germany mis-calcuaed the strength of the principles
against which she fought just she the endur
fna conIced that great nrncn was at stake and the
of the world hung the balance Therefore she hopess
defeated the gigantic struggle which ensued at least appar
emily
But after all is the years that tell the tale For after
two tentative this great and glorious nation of
story the nation which forced by circumstance to lay
aside temporarily her policy OF aoofness and which efficient
y backed the other allies in terminating the struggle
and bringing Germany to bay finds herself confronted by great
problems which must be solved correctly the i'm
many the democratic principles forefathers
fought and aboed hanging in the balance result of the
She herself and industrial unrest
because of vicious propaganda spread bv the very foreigners to
whom she has always her doors freely She finds her
self pted commercially against the of the world for all the
war-to nations must needs do their best re-estabsh them
selves this the eyes the the world
doing their best regardless of the commercial fate of other
been allowed take advantage of the fact that his country
tened himself his counrs extremity She finds herself
divided in opinion the question of her future policy toward
out precedent and throw into the discard by accepting the
League of Nations without reservation shall she
the policy which proved efectua
in the past She finds her home life threatened by immortality
her farms deteroang and lying for lack of labor
to cultivate them properly her cost of living therefore soaring
higher and higher And all this time her apparently carefree
citizens whr their mad for wealth and pleasure and
ease and luxury She finds many of her positions
filled by little and incompetent men, her wareb enormous and
waste in every department of government while taxes multiply
power of big money INSCRIPTIONS hands.
1t is high time that the citizens of this great and powerful
take time stop and think face facts they
matter how ugly they be- their wits
attack fearesy and Systematically the evils which
principles, and endurance
nation England has her problems She will solve them
her Germany has her problems She also will solve
them in her France Italy Russia and all the
other hard the line all looking
out first for themselves.
We must solve problems and in choosing
that the principles which
this country founded through which
strength her position and her We cannot afford to
rfice those principles for substitute Are citizen
of the United States doing real thinking letting
else do it for you Are reading history
tnent articles and editorials dealing with
existing conditions and suggesting needed corrections
reading silly love stories doing reading at all? Are
posting regard to the fitness of the various
ddate for office in state and nation and the principles
for which they stand planning
ee opinion concerning them vote at random not at a
you really interested public affairs and the future policy
country meriy drifting with the crowd.
else decide that fate while you sit supney