The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-04-06
Prize-Winners in Am. Leg
ion AUGMENTATION Contest
r a help but a hind

help he is no longer,a help but hind
rance to mankind.
Now the Stacker must be considered.
The word Stacker, is a general term
but the most used version is the one
I shall consider. The men who eVaded
the draft, as 1 have explained in the
preceding paragraph, were known as
draft dodgers, but the older men, who
were too old to be drafted. were called
upon to serve their country in diff
ferent. though important manner. They
were asked to buy bonds from the
United States government. They We're
promised full value on their money,
and never has the government of the
United States failed to fulfill its
promise and they did not have to buy
more than their means permitted.
However, even then, although our
country was at war and needed money
very badly, some men who CLAIMED to
be American citizens refused to buy
bonds. They deserted their country at
the crucial point of her career and de-
serve to be branded as traitors for
ever Few men have shown such base
ingratitude as the slackers. The Uni
ed States fed them, clothed them and
gave them shelter, and then they re-
fused to give their small mite to help
sustain her in her extreme need. AS
a result of his country's kindness to
him and protection of him he was able
to get this money. which he so jealous
ly boards. That was the Amerlcanism
shown by the Stacker.
I will now give a short definition OF
Americanism as / understand 1T. Amer
icanism means ideals, loyalty to ones
self and to ones country. To quote
loyalty, and that is loyalty to ones
country and this includes being loyal
to ones true SELF That, l believe, Is
he proper spirit of Americanism and
everyone should develop such COM
plete sense of patriotism that he can
say, 81 love my country and her ideals
and I am willing to give her every
thing 1 am capable of if she ever calls
On me to serve her in any way
AMERICANISM
We often hear people refer to me
word AmericaniSm when they really do
not know the true meaning of the term.
They know that it does mean to be an
American citizen, to help support the
government by paying ones taxes and
TO stand up for ones country in time of
war; but they do not know how much
their whole life should be guided by
this password to the hearts of all true
countrymen of Uncle Sam.
Americanism is the spirit that marks
the action, the manners, the passions
and the endeavors of a citizen of the
United States in appreciation of the
freedom, happiness, protection and
unlimited advantages afforded him by
his government.
The spirit of Americanism first took
shape when a little group of men and
women. driven from the land of an in
tolerable tyrant, landed ION a stern
and rockbound coast" in new land,
set up government and pledged them
selves to respect and obey it and love
the country for which it stood. This
story has been handed down to us from
our fore fathers and we try to live up
to it's spirit and keep that gov
eminent as pure and strong as they
intended it to be-a guide in the dark
people of the earth.
But. we find that many Of us wander
away from this spirit of good inten-
tions and begin to do things to further
covetousness and selfishness. This
selfishness is the cause of the bleeding
wound in the national spirit of Ameri-
canism in Tour nation today. Citizens
who put their own desires for gain and
advancement in life above their duty to
their country are injecting this would
with the poisnous germs of anarchy,
.Bolshevism or some other vital enc
my to a democratic government.
Our government is what we make 1t,
and, if we want it to be truly Ameri-
can and to stand above the nation as
the representative of its true spirit and
worth, we must support 1T with all our
energy and will We must abide by the
laws of that government at all times
even if we personally do not approve
Of them, because they are made by, the
people and they are whom the govern
ment represents.
There are two kinds of laws which
a citizen should obey equally as strict;
written laws or those made by the
people, and unwritten laws or those
that the freedom and leniency of our
government do not make forclble but
which our conscience tells us must be
lived up to if we are to be good citi-
zens, Some examples of the latter are;
to vote on the election of all officers
of the government to the best OF our
judgment and reason and not according
to our persona. prejudices, to willingly
support the governments decisions
financially and every other way within
our power during war time as Well as
peace, to favor the government in our
speech at all times. to direct our ener-
gies towards progressing the educa-
ton, development and general civilized
progress of the nation and to obey an
undesirable law Of the government UNI
til we can peaceably and legally strive
for it's annulment.
A good time to test persons spirit
of country is in war time when his
nation is in need of financial, moral
and aid Of every kind.
Then the true American comes for