Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-12-24

IOr CTdnSIuSlOl VI tHcii oWh oioou
(money).
What fools these mortals be" if
they think they can clamp down the
lid on the very life blood of nation,
and sit serenely thereon, while mil
lions of their fellow men, women and
children are suffering in poverty, and
in need of the very essentials of life.
Remain in SNUG possession of what
they call theirs, while thousands re-
sort to lawlessness, banditry and
crime, while they call on the law
to protect them. Yes, people do not
even stop at murder to obtain some
of the life blood of that nation, money.
These so-called doctors are loud in
talking and spreading propaganda
about patriotism But is there a
real patriot among them? Their pa
triotism asserts itself only when they
are seriously threatened by some out
side power, and they fear to lose
some of their fabulous wealth and in
comes. Then they yell Patriotism
and when the smoke has cleared away
there are some millions of MANNED,
wounded and dead, other millions of
broken hearts and orphans. But these
so-called doctors quietly put away
some more billions of dollars. Then
once more they sit in high places,
having nothing to fear from their
home people. For do they not them
selves make the laws, and invoke it
to protect them in their possession of
the very life blood of the nation?
By tying up our imperative life
blood in foreign investments and
loans, by building up powerful cor
porations at home, they have left the
actual money, the actual blood which
must circulate in order to sustain life,
to gather dust in the vaults, while
millions are suffering not only physi-
cally, but mentally, morally and
spiritually. Yes, they hold the blood
of the nation, and thereby control
its brains (the law makers), its lungs
0he press), the heart, arteries and
veins (the organ and channels
through which money should flow.
In fact, they control every organ and
lllnD OF our DOQy polite.
They preach patriotism, religion
and the Golden Rule, but their own
actions breed anarchy, materialism,
selfshness and hatred.
We have not seen any trust bust
ing since the days of that true pa
triot, Teddy Roosevelt, but we have
seen some powerful ones organized
and pampered, until we are held by
them as a great octopus holds its
victim. We must free ourselves even
if we get hurt in the freeing, and the
Staying of the octopus. 1 say with
Patrick Henry, Give me liberty or
give me DEATH" And l do not mean
by that tedious method of shutting off
our blood circulation, and letting us
struggle to death, slowly but surely.
No, indeed. We have already been
we'll started on that kind of death.
The self-respect and civic pride of
millions of men have already been
crushed. Those things are a vital
and necessary part of every normal
human being, as well as being the
real strength and treasure of nation.
What then must be the inevitable
result? When the government of a
nation is either unable or unwilling
to bring the necessary force to bear
against the small percentage that
holds the nations purse strings, what
then?
The mental vision of the result in
my mind is too terrible to think Of
A human being in the death grip of
an octopus will resort to any means
at his disposal to extricate himself.
No matter how desperate the situa-
ton, he must fight to a finish. The
people of a nation will do no less
when they are sufficiently strangled.
They will strike back at their oppres-
sors with united force. Realizing, of
course, that war is what Sherman
said it was, nobody wishes to expert
ence its horrors. So we suffer on,
hopeful that such eXtremities may be
avoided.
But when self-respect and civic
pride is destroyed, when liberties are
curtailed through sedate hypocrisy,
the country overrun with lawlessness,
banditry, racketeering and graft in
high places, the day does not seem
far away when some extreme must
come. To these elements you have
only to add the stark spectre of hun
ger, in order to light the flame. Even
now, hunger stalks among us.
Unless something is done, innocent
but truly patriotic blood will flow in
mighty effort of the people to re-
gain and maintain this government,
consecrated by the people, of the peo-
pie and for the people, that under
God they may re-assert and re-possess
their rights to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.
Opportunity knocks once at every
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