New Britain herald., 1922-02-23

lioSal Americans ana as such must W
 make him our cxompar, Of lat
 years insidous propaganda Ina
 sought To rocreuie Washington lh
 patriot, Those who by their fondnes
 for the term Mother Country" ren
 der questionable their own loyalty
 tell Us that he desired no ruptur,
 with that Mother Country. that an in dependent America was 'farthest fror his thoughts, Such an assertion is ah
 solntcy fDlse' While a member O the Nirginian Burgess Washington q
 one time stated that he would at hi.
 own expense equip a force of l00f
 men and lead them 10 the relief oi oppressed Boston, and again he said
 No man should scruple or hesitate
 a moment to use arms in defense of
 so valuable blessing as Liberty" He
 was patriot in the truest sense of the word; and those who discover in him partisan of British principles and lover of British domination are guilty of the foulest islander.
 Raps HypOcricy
 In this age of ostontation and hypo- crisy one hears much of patriotism. The proudest boast of every organi- cation is that it is patriotic, each claims for itself that virtue and looks askance at the patriotism of every other society For that reason it may be well for ns to consider what pa triotism it. If Is nothing more than love of country, but that love must not be sham but real, not an idle, declarative love but an active, em- cacious one. IL is more than the dis playing of the American flag in ones button hole, 1t is more than the de- claiming of bombastic, meaningless, emotional apostrophes to the Stars and Stripes, it is more than noisy renditons of the Star Spangled Ban ner," These are but the "trappings and suits" of patriotic sentiment and virtue; beneath them there may lie hidden the soul of base traitor Pa triotism is manifested not only on the field of battle, mid the rear of can- non and the clash of arms, but it also makes it's presence felt in the era of peace. A man is patriotic not only when he directs charge against hos tile bayonets not only when by scath- ing denunciation of a enemy power he ncites an audience to martial fervor, but also when he modestly performs he various duties of citizenship. He IS patriot when he uses his ballot | 0 elect the more competent candidate irrespective of party affiliations, he is lnpatriotic when he permits the hope ,f personal advancement or remuner- Ltion to determine his choice of an pretender. He is patriot when he submits to the just laws of lis country, he is more than unpa- riotic when he evades the obligations is privileges of citizenship entail. He 5 a patriot when by sound, construc- i've criticism he seeks to correct ac- noWledged abuses, he is an anarchist then by unjust fault-finding he 'ould disrupt and annihiate the gov rnment which shelters and protects i'm. He is a patriot when he upholds e le traditions of American justice, hen he considers his fellow man as $
 brother, when he respects his con- r ctions, religious or otherwise, when U } scorns class distinctions to lend a Y aping hand to the needy, when he ''
 willing and eager to work honestly y, Id faithfully for his country's pro- '' 'ess He is a sham patriot, con- u ,irator, a positive menace, an unde- u rable breeder of discomfort, when a , trickery and dishonesty he disre- IT rds the principles of justice. when d holds his fellow man as merely a o ns in the ladder by which he him. ' If climbs to success. when he is in- : erabe to those whose religious = nets are not his. when he stirs up tired of the rich among the poor q contempt for the poor among the 'h, when as laborer he conceives 2 capitalist as Satan incarnate, and
 capitalist he views the laborer as human machine, a selfish, unruly sturber. Finally he is a patriot who i not afraid of work, who under lnds that a six-hour day and a five y week will never make America sat.
 True Patriotism 2
 These then are the qualities of true 'riotism, these are the character ics of a Washington. He is Amer IS foremost patriot and yet how 'dest he was. He frequently pro- ted his unworthiness, his ina biity
 discharge the tasks imposed on n, even though he knew there was
 other so well fitted for them. flow crent he was from the boasting, Eeing individual we so often meet ay, who from the house tops pro- inns the services he has rendered
 country. He loves to recount in sonate oratory his many achieve nts, he delights in reciting the wess of American arms, and in ittling the mplishments of ry other nation. He exclaims and vociferously that s is the greatest country in his y, that the American flag has CT hung and never will hang be- tn another on the flag staff, and acclaim him q marvellous asset his country's advancement. It is q for us to take just pride in
 nations history, it is fool-hardy our part to fancy that by boast she will become greater. It is q for us to render services to our lblic, it is wrong to extend our