Evening star., 1923-07-22
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President OF the United
States.


Former Vice President OF the United
States.
/ am ancient enough of days to
| remember the battle cry Of the repub-
lie fifty years ago. 1t was, 1--WE must
educate. We must educate, or we
perish" Well. we educated and edu-
Gated and educated during all these
years, and at the end of them we
are raising a new battle cry. 1t is,
1--we must organize, We must organize,
or we perish"
Whether this organization idea is
to be sort of a handmaiden of educa-
ton or its boss, do not know. l do
know that to not few of us who are
afraid to throw a letter in the waste
basket without reading it for fear It
| may contain something which we
ought to know. this organization
business already is a nuisance. The
government of the United states
| seemingly Is unable to take care OF
itself, judging by the letters we re-
| ceive from first one society and then
| another. The public schools and the
private institutions OF learning Of the
country apparently are fmpotent- VI
ability, desire, or vision, according 10
these organization themes, to train
| up to the right kind OF American
citizen.
1t must require some considerable
nerve on a mans part to announce
| himself as the champion OF Ameri-
I can ideals, to lay out what he calls
L ipla afa a q inherently
| these principles form the basis OF the
| American republic, and then circu-
larize the country in some such way
as this: I'VE are about to organize
a group OF public-spirited men and
| women who seek to awaken and sus-
| tain a more lively interest In the
American government; or, we are
about to organize a society for the
| IAmericanization of the foreigner De-
] cause the dangers to America from
ignorant aliens in our midst consti-
tute the most awful menace to our
institutions; or, I'VE believe that
| nothing is so essential to good gov
ernment as to impress upon the minds
| Of the people that they are all right,
| although they know they are wrong !;
or. There are secret influences at
work. undermining our institutions
We have organized to preserve our
1 institutions. IneSe are not cAdCI
| quotations from circulars which have
| come to me, but they well illustrate
the ideas which constantly clog the
mails. One is all the time being i'm
portuned to permit the use OF his
name as a sponsor or an honorary
list as a life member or for $500 you
| can become a founder.
No one disputes the right of peo-
| pie in America to organize for most
| any sort of a principle that they
| choose to enunciate, II It be not in
violation of the Constitution and laws
| of this country. but one cannot but
| wonder at these numerous offensive
| and defensive organizations which
| are springing up like mushrooms in
| American life. and to ponder whether
| they are wholly. exclusively and self
i sacrifcingly patriotic. One may well
| ask himself. not Mark Twain's ques-
| tion. How much do king git?" but.
| How much does an organizer get?'
l How much per word are the con-
| tributors to these different orEani-
| zations paying for patriotic impulse?'
I DO not pretend to say that some
| Of these organizations are not wise
| and good and that out of their acttvi-
1 ties mucI IL not DtlHS accomplished
| in the interest OF the republic. but
l unhesitatingly declare that all are
| not justified and that the activities
| of some are not to the benefit of our
land
| A man born in America, though he
never appears before any court OF
| record to do so, has taken a natal
oath TO support the Constitution and
/ obey the laws of the United States.
| And IT is the duty of our courts,
| before they admit any one to citizen
| ship, carefully TO ascertain the opin-
| ions and conduct of the applicant,
| and to make sure that his oath of
| allegiance will be honestly taken. In