Evening star., 1923-01-01
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.


being stands in great need OF care
and scientific help, If the race is not
to degenerate. Our showing at th2
start of 1928 is nothing to boast of
brute creation. . In spite of
science. culture and the intellect of
man, the genus homo is carrying at
present greater burden of disease.
misery and starvation than any other
animal organism"
These are ugly charges to make
against people so proud as the
Americans. If they were made ~ .
foreigner we would all be too angry
to answer them. But surely even our
characteristic smugness will permit
US To take an inventory of ourselves
on January l.
In a lecture last Thursday James
\. Beck, solicitor general of the
United States, declared
I'm 1880 men were better citizens
as citizens-fOr they believed in their
political parties. Today that militant
party spirit has disappeared. and
third of the electorate does not vote.
In 1880 the worker took pride in his
work and was proud of achievement
in industry" which he said is not
true now.
Family ties are lightly held" he
asserted, "and even children lack the
loyalty and respect of other days.
The American people give far too
much time and thought to play and
amusements-this is an age of the
n n nnT m NIrf
palaces We're built in New York last
year than schools and churches"
He might have said the same con-
cerning Washington and many an
other city. and added that it costs
more to buy chewing gum for Amer
leans than it takes 10 support all the
colleges
A scientist has diagnosed the flap
per-who is more abused by critics
than she merits-by finding that what
had been thought to be heart dia-
! ease is only a certain sluggish action
of the brain. Her heart is all right
but her brain needs a stimulanL rs
arouse il into stronger actfon-Dhshs
something worth while to interest V
and distract il from the meaningless
frivolities something serious and
inspiring. Perhaps that same diae
nosis will fiji not only the poor abused
maiden, but equally apply to TIE
"ideaI American" He has been over
organized, and while his heart is all
right he has organized himself out
of an avocation. by substituting com
missions and associations and So
cieties and trusts He has atrophied
his individuality and personal init
atiVe and So while he contributes
his life blood to transfuse energy
with a hank check into some organi-
zation. he himself is becoming ener-
| waited It tells on his heart action
after awhile. but at first il tells on his
! brain. for he imagines that all that
his associations do can be done with
ont his personal concern. The year
1923 needs an arousng of the Initial
ing brain Of the average citizen
He is now saving that his society or
post or church is run by clique.
of that very CLIQUE, and when
enough take ~ the white mans
burden. thev Will find how indispens-
able is their own initiative and ac-
| ton. That is what ails the average
citizen He shirks. His brain Is
sluggish. Get busy, Wake from the
reaction of lethargy following the
excitement of the war service: the
world still needs war workers. even
! in peace.
It is not q pleasant theme to dis
| cuss the composite actual Ameri-
! can and contrast him with the ideal
| 100 Ter cent American If the
| writer had hyphen in his own
nationality it might not be whole
| some exercise. but bear with me.
| friends" for I came in the Mayflower
| and also with William Penn. and
am as much TO blame for this picture
as any other Yankee. What are we
going to do about it? How many
of US have the grit to look squarely
on the picture and answer frankly?
Let US get back to The Spirit ot
| '76" Let US awake to the ideals
f, which made America great. Let US
not be ashamed of Puritan devotion
10 right. or of Quaker simplicity of
living. or of Patrick Henry's single
ness of purpose. which cried in
abandon of eloquent sincerity: Give
me liberty or give me death.
Contrast the spirit of our fore
fathers with the general trend Of
this ''hippodrome age" and we may
glimpse the ideal 100 per cent Amer
. lCdH, WHO tOWtfS 50 Id dboNt
the negative American who simply
does not fracture any statute that
it would he hard to trace relation
ship between them.
While pledging the Daugherty
toast. quoted in the opening para
graph above. is all right so far as
it goes, why stop half way?
Columbia Columbia TO glory arise.
The queen of the world and the child of the
skies,
To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire
Whelm nations in blood and wrap cities in fire:
Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend.
And triumph pursue them and glory attend