The Redwood gazette., 1935-06-06
Americanism in 1885
By Gordon Alexander

we, tuS yOOI& ulSA o1O WOuACu
of TO-DAY, have the greatest Oppor-
tunity that has come to any peo-
pie OF modern times. Our great
chance is to raise and maintain
the standard of fundamental
American principles; freedom of
speech, politics, religion, and the
right to conduct our daily lives as
we see mt so long as we do not in
fringe on the rights Of others. We
cannot serve the world until we
have learned to serve America.
Many hands must pass on the
torcn of Americanism. We must
furnish the rallying point for all
people believing in these princi-
Piles.
We have before us the task of
perfecting and maintaining our
system or orderly individual liber-
ty under q government conducted
strictly according to its constitu-
ton. Shall we stand on the found
alton of Americanism as handed
down to US by our forefathers who
fought and died for these princi-
Piles on the frozen fields of Valley
Forge, on the grassy slopes of
Gettysburg, on the heights of San
Juan and at Manila, and, as q fit
ting climax, in far off France at
Chateau Thierry and the Ar
gonne? Shall we correct abuses as
they arise and take advantage Of
the opportunities which We may
have; or, shall we gradually drllr
toward the maelstrom of jealousy,
hatred, suspicion, and general
break down of law and order,
which Isl causing the downfall OF
many Of the governments Of our
foreign neighbors?
There can be but one answer to
this. We must 90 forward! Am
erica must look ahead to the
creative ability of a free people,
for the productive genius, the ex-
pansion Of enterprise for reforms
in governmental and economic
powers, and for advance from out
of date ideas. In other words we
must be free to think, to act, and
to capitalize on our efforts.
We have many serious questions
to be answered and problems to be
worked out. Are we to do our
own thinking and planning? Will
we continue to have free speech
and press? Is our-money stable :?
What will we do with our idle peo-
Pile? What about old age securi-
ty? How will the great public
debt be paid? What about the
moral break down? Are we to
continue with an artificial pros
perity and its possible consequence
es? Will we have a revolution to
remedy conditions? And finally;
have we, the young people OF
America who are finishing high
school this year, taken advantage
Of the opportunities given US TO
prepare ourselves so that we may
solve these and many other prob
lens that come to us?
1t is well that we pause a mo-
ment to take stock of ourselves.
We must realize that real Ameri-
canism is to upbuild and protect
that unit of American life, the
family and the home, whether
farmer. laborer, or business man.
AS on that unit depends our whole
American future.
My vision of real Americans
is to take the problems as they
present themselves, and work
them out in such a way that the
greatest number of our people
may be permanently benefited.
Let our objective be, America
first and, by the blessing of God,
may America itself become a
splendid monument, not of oppres-
sion and terror, but of wisdom, of
peace, and of liberty, upon which
the world may gaze with admira-
tion forever.
The eyes Of the world are upon
US, because we are in some spe-
cial sense the citizens of freedom.
Let it be our pride, therefore, to
show all men everywhere what
good citizens we are, keeping our
selves fit and straight in every
thing, and pure and clean clear
through