Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-08
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TOD4Y'S BORROWED Z
EDITORIAL q
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THE EDITORIAL. WHAT OF
AMERICA?"

AMERICA?'
The editorial to which reference is
made appeared in the morning edition
of The Star Tuesday, under the head.
ing, "What of Americai' It follows:
They have buried their dead in Illi-
nois, and American civilization is com
posing it's face to that bland express
sion that has come to be its main re-
lance against all questioning, all
| charges and all doubts.
But questioning and doubt are not
buried. They can neither be shot to
death nor assured by the smooth coun
tenance of society through whose
hasty makeup show the sears and ulc-
ers Of a raging disease.
Americans must answer the ques-
tion, What Of Americas
1t is being asked today all over this
broad continent; asked by Americans;
asked in shame, humiliation and fear.
Their country, their democracy, their
laws, institutions and civilization are
under Indictment and the indictment
goes unanswered. ~
Only the other day we sent the flow
er Of our young manhood across the
seas to fight for liberty. Did we send
them to the right placei Was our lib
erty secured on those European battle
fields, or is it here at home that it
faces an enemy in armss
Obedience to law is liberty. So
stands it written over the door Of our
court houses. Can Americans read that
L. 90: a. IL
ledge to themselves that tested by it
there is no liberty in Americai
There is no liberty where there is
no law. There is no liberty where there
is no protection for life or property.
There is no liberty where there is no
respect for human rights, where JUS
tice cannot be invoked both for the
security Of society and the punishment
of its enemies.
What of Americaf
| While that murder was being done
in Illinois a court and jury were de-
livering the judgment that no crime
was committed when the public funds
of the state were diverted from the
public treasury.
Last year in London, city of I
million people, there were nine mur.
ders. In Chicago there were 105. In
every American city known criminals
walk the streets unmolested. In every
American city crime goes unpunished,
criminals walk unscathed from the
dock and amid public plaudits while
bold graft and Haunting vice enthron-
ed in every political place bow grace
full and pleased acknowledgment.
What Of Americas r. ~
Rich, luxury loving, money grubbing,
politically corrupt, lawless America.
Land of liberty, land Of sacrifice, land
of soldier dead of patriot devotion, Of
patriot ideals sealed ON 80 many heroic
fields, watched over now by no spirit
Of America, but only by the cold, in
| animate monuments that are America 8
last remaining sentineis.
The most lawless country in the
world. A country Of universal eynicism,
| skepticism and inhuman materialism.
] A country that raises a stately nnemor-
| ial to Abraham Lincoln and forgets or
| openly jeers at his teaching. A country
| where class hates class and class arms
against class, shooting and lynching
and burning and dynanliting while the
law looks on and the public. is SO indifs
| ferent that il even looks away. A
| country that throws open its gates to
alien criminal and alien lunatic, ia
anarchist, bomber and hired assassin,
and where few Americans are born, few
\ vote and few lead.
Land of shotgun, dagger and bomb
-Ameriea! Land Of layless might, OF
cruelty, injustice and sribald laughter
of sneers at mortality, WINS at pa
r