Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-04-06
WHAT KIND OF
CITIZENSHIP ARE
We BUILDING

dations c1umble. Civic righteousness
is the only safeguard against ma
tional disintegration.
Every nation is a composite ndl-
vidual. No nation can rank higher
than the individuals composing that
nation.
This nation is made up of our
fathers children. Our own children
will soon hold the reigns of govern
ment, and we, as parents, are re-
sponsible for the moral trend of the
government. We cherish the slogan:
america is for Americans" Now
! let US add: Americans be for Am
iericans." Save America to save the
world, and we must "save the child
to save America"
/ This is a Christian country; its
foundations were laid in the gospel;
the compact for the Mayflower was
signed for the advancement of Chris
tian faith, and for the glory of God
but we are neglecting to promote
the Christian citizenship of our
country through indifference and
apathy. Criminal negligence Stays
its thousands every year. We must
awake and rally to our duty. There
is spirit disseminating through our
land in recent years that is threat
ening patriotism, Christianity and
the very life itself. We are asleep
to the fact that our children are en-
gendering the seeds of rebellion and
anarchy. 1t has come to this: Unless
good men and good women, good
citizens, fathers and mothers, come
together with one united voice to
suppress this spirit of insubordina-
ton, and supplant it with the spirit
of loyalty to the proper authority,
1--we are lost, our children are ruined,
and our nation will become high
handed bolshevists. Look at poor,
| fallen, bleeding Russia.
liCIC 10 GOlISldIlI SO1llllCI UClWCCll
law and lawlessness, right and
wrong, evil and good in every sphere
| of life The bad thrives of its own
accord and feeds on its own wicked
ness. Good is always the outcome
of prayer, study and cultivation. We
| must train our children to distin-
guish between evil and good, to es-
chew evil and do good.
Parents, we need to be more ag-
gressive, we must fight wrong. The
non-combatant never, won a cause
All great reforms have been
brought about by a righteous war;
fare. You may think me over
jealous or ,fanacical, or crank, but
hope to stir up some enthusiasm
There is power in vitalizing public
sentiment.
We send our children to school,
perhaps, telling them to be good and
obey rules and think then our obliga-
ton is ended. Perhaps companion
; in his playful mood or excessive ex-
uberance of young life oversteps q
rule, but is not detected. The act il
repeated until it becomes unbearable
A class is brought before authorities
an investigation is made, yet no one
will admit the guilt, or report the
guilty. Now is this true loyalty te
cling to a false principle that viii
crumble under the rays of justice
Each child reports the incident in his
home saying, II was not going tt
be a attle-tale'-I'd die before Po
betray a friend" Now, did we, as
parents and advisors encourage hin
in this kind of loyalty, or did we
give him lesson on true loyalty
and Christian citizenship? Why
can't we see the difference between
being a "tattle-tale" and helping the
proper authority to locate misde-
meanor and prevent its recurrence
This is the very first step of anarchy
and bolshevism and the child never
dreams of it. Why all outlaws ane
gangsters are banded together to be
loyal to each other, when they are
actually disloyal to all justice, right
eousness and good citizenship. an
not an advocate of strikes, but with
all my heart, soul and mind do say
strike against this abominable COM
bine to defend companion in q
wrong doing. 2fG
u 1t is this same spirit fostered by
the children and encouraged by the
parents that prevents law enforce
lment in our land. Why so many il
illicit stills and bootleggers in our
country? Because of that unwrit-
Item truce between the citizens and