Milford chronicle., 1924-06-27
A NEW KIND OF FOURTH!

lished 14S years ago by the Declaration of Inde
pendence and later made secure by that inspired
document, the Constitution of these United
States.
Our own country, however, has now reached
another and higher stage in it's career of lead
ership-for we are just beginning to realize that
the free citizen has responsibilities as well as
privileges
We are beginning to realize that the man who
lives under a free government is, in fact, more
obligated to respect the rights of others than is
the man who lives where freedom is still some
thing new and untried, as in Russian now, for
example.
In other words, as citizens of a nation where
freedom has long been an established fact, we
know better than to tread-on the rights of each
other, just as we know better than to let the
other fellow tread on ours.
And when we violate our trust either way, we
are more to be blamed than are people who have
not had the advantage of American traditions
of liberty-just as the dislOyalty of a trusted
employee is more blameworthy than that of one
who is not given a chance to go wrong.
Isn't that the way you feel? If so, what will
you DO about it?
Obviously the first thing to do is for each and
every one of us to face the facts ourselves, and
realize that with all our freedom, we are still
entirely dependent on each other, so that the
first and soundest policy in government in bus
mess or in individual action lies in the unchang-
ing principles of cooperation.
We must know, too that any cooperation, to
be 100 per cent successful, implies 100 per cent
team work for the common good. 1t means do
ing our share as well as expecting the other
fellow to do his
This, after all, is no burden because sincere
cooperation is not only the highest patriotism
but the most enlightened form of selfshness. 1t
yields dividends both in this worlds goods and
in self respect-without which any amount of
material prosperity is worthless.
Having reached this plane where we recognize
the obligations of every good citizen to work
for the good of the order" isn't it well for us
to consider new sort of Fourth of July cele-
bration?
Can't we apply to ourselves the sort of dedi-
cation to human service and the Golden Rule of
which Lincoln spoke in his immortal address at
Gettysburg?
AS Crusaders for America should we not so
plan our Fourth of July celebration as to remind
ourselves of our obligation to ACT in behalf OF
those things which go to make true patriotism
worth while?
On the Fourth of July, 1875, our forefathers
ACTED. They did something
There would have been nothing to celebrate
even then. however, if they had confined their |
ideas about liberty to their Declaration OF Inde-
pendence They set about to making their dec
,o41e hot oadn
history-and that's the thing we celebrate.
What are the prime needs of America today? |
Can we celebrate the Fourth of July in better
fashion than to bind ourselves together to con-
vert those needs into realities?
How about honesty in government-local'
state and national?
Shocking as they are, the revelations and ac-
cusations of graft in high circles will be a good
thing if they arouse the everyday citizen to
realization that the wastings of public servants
are part of his own personal responsibility
If the airing of scandal doesn't arouse voters
of every class to insist, not only on house
cleaning but upon evidences of cleanliness II
would have been much better for the stencil TO
have been confined to the musty archives from
which it has been let loose.
When we locate sharp practice or downright
on the part of public officials we can
be pretty sure that there is waste OF public
funds in the same neighborhood
But all waste of tax payers money is not
brought about through dishonesty. Most of it
comes from extravaganza due to the Senator or
Congressman, or the member Of the state legis-
lature, or the county commissioner, or the mem
ber of the city council trying to please you and
me with things that cost money.
A lot of these things are good, but are they
more important than the improvement of our
own homes? The education of our children?
It isn't as if all the taxes we had to pay were
those for which we get a bill from town or coun-
ty or from the Federal income tax collector.
Those are high enough, in all conscience, but
every time we buy a spool of thread or sack OF
tobacco or suit of clothes-or anything else
we can make sure that the maker of it has add
ed his taxes to the price-to the cost OF the
things we use.
Remembering that the first principle OF econ
omy is not as much to do without as to elimi-
nate waste; and bearing in mind that all OF us
are taxpayers-direct, indirect or both ways,
what can we DO to enforce reform?
Isn't the Fourth of July fitting time for us
as Crusaders for America to start something in
hat direction?
THE SOLDIERS WILL RECEIVE their ad-