The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-10-06

fixity Of judgment, against which we
may we'll be warned.
at is not easy TO conceive of any.
thing that would be more unfortun-
ate in Il community based upon the
ideals Of which Americans boast than
any considerable Development Of in
tolerance as regards religion. TO Il
great extent this country owes its
beginnings 10 the determination OF
our hardy ancestors to maintain
complete freedom in religion. Instead
of a state church we have dccrecd
that every citizen shall be free to
follow the dictates Of his own CON
science rs to his religious belief and
affiliations. Under that guaranty we
have erected a system which certain
~ ia Justified By its fruits. Under
no other could we have dared to in
vitc the peoples Of all countries and
crccds to come here and unite with
are all citizens.
Cooperation Necessary
"But having invited them here, hav-
ing accepted their great and varied
contributions to the building Of the
nalloI, IL Is lOI Us " lIlalUIuIH vi al
good faith those liberal Institutions
and traditions which have been so
productive Of good. The bringing to-
gcther of all these different national,
racial, religious, and cultural ele-
mcntS has made our country a kind
Of composite of the rest of the world
and We can render no greater service
than by demonstrating the possibility
Of harmonious cooperation among SO
many various groups. Every one OF
them has something characteristic
and significant of great value to east
into the common fund of our ma
terial. intellectual. and spiritual re.
sources.
"lf we are to have that harmony
and tranquility, that union of spirit
which is the foundation of real ma
tiOnul genius and national progress,
we must all realize that Their. are
true Americans who did not happen
to be born IN our section OF the cod.
try, who do not attend our Dla"e Of
religious worship, who are not Of our
racial stock. or who are not proficient
IN our language. II we are to create
on this continent a free republic
and an enlightened civilization that
will be capable of rejecting the true
greatness and glory Of mankind, il
will be necessary to regard these diff
fercnces as accidental and unesSen-
tial. We shall have to look beyond
the outward manifestations Of race
and creed. Divine Providence has
not bestowed upon any race mOnOp-
oily Of patriotism and character.
The same principl that it is nee
essary to apply to the attitude OF
mind among our own people it is also
necessary to apply to the attitude CT
mind among the different nations.
During the war we were required not
only to put Il Strong emphasis on
everything that appealed to our own
national pride but an equally strong
emphasis on that which tended to
diSparagc other peoples. There was
an intensive cultivation of animos-
tiles and hatreds and enmities, to-
gether with a blind appeal to force,
that took possession of substantially
all the peoples of the earth. Of
course, these ministered to the war
spirit. They supplied the incentive
quest.
HO" NidNS .tUSIIS0 GlISt
But in time of peace these senti-
ments are not helps but hlndrances;
they are not constructive. The gen
orally expressed desire Of America
first can not be criticised. 1t is a
perfectly correct aspiration for our
people to cherish. But the problem
which we have to solve is how to
make America first. 1t can not be
done by the cultivation of national
bigotry, arrogance, or selfishness.
Hatreds, jealousies and suspicious
will not be productive of any bene-
fits in this direction.
Here again we must apply the
rule of federation. Because there are
other peoples whose ways are not our
ways, and whose thoughts are not our
thoughts, we are not warranted in
drawing the conclusion that they
are adding nothing to the sun of civ
ilization We can make little COW
tribution to the welfare of humanity
on the theory that we are I superior
people and all others are an inferior
people. We do not need to be too
loud in the assertion of our own
righteousness.
1T is true that we live under most
favorable circumstances. But before
we come to the final and irrevocable
decision that we are better than
everybody else we need to consider
what we might do if we had their
provocations and their difficulties.
We are not likely to improve our
our condition or help humanity very
much until we come to the sympa-
thetic understanding that human ma
ture is about the same everywhere
that it is rather evenly distributed
over the surface of the earth, and
that we are all united in a common
brotherhood.
I'VE can only make America first
in the true sense which that means
by cultivating a spirit of friendship
and good will, by the exercise of the
virtues of patience and forbearance
by being 'plenteous in mercy and
through progress at home and help.
fulness abroad standing as an exam.
pie of real service to humanity"
CZechO-SlOyakia