The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1937-06-03

into the very halls OF Congress ana
there with the connivance Of dis
honest politicians and dishonest Of
ficeholders dictate laws to be pass
ed prejudlcial to the welfare Of the
rank and file Of the peoplef DO we
rise up in righteous indignation
when manufacturers Of war mater
ials and other great industrialists
as well as International bankers
lead us by devious ways into for
eign entanglements and threaten to
lead us again into war?
Any thinking and enlightened
people need not suffer such things
to go on. We have in our posses
sion the greatest weapon for pro-
lection ever devised by the human
mind,-the thoughtful, the consid-
cred, the honest ballot. But do we
use it? With greed and graft rife
in places high and low in our gov
eminent, with politics rotten to the
very core, does Mr.. John @. Pub
lie bestir himself? Yes, about once
every four years during a presiden-
tial compaign we hear murmurs
from the indifferent, thoughtless
man. But for action-live, domin-
ant, courageous action-there Is lit
tie or none.
John @. Public is a multiple in
dividual. There are many Of him
some who think, others too indolent
and Indifferent to think, and others
who do a lot Of the wrong kind OF
thinking, that of planning what
they can get for themselves out OF
Government.
Where, the schoolboy asks, is
that dignity Of citizenship so laud-
ed in our school books? Where Is
national honor? Where Is national
pridef Did our forefathers envis-
ion so many of their progeny at
taching themselves like barnacles
to the Ship Of State that the good
ship Is in danger Of floundering?
Today our Ship of State needs dry
docking. It seems to have needed
drydocking for many years. Two
major political parties have been
promising for generations to scrape
away the barnacles from the sides
and bottom. They stage a sparring
contest, politically, every four years
for the honor Of being allowed to
do so. But it Is never done. The
winner Of the contest is not really
interested In the barnacles. He Is
interested only in the steering
wheel in the pilot house. Greed!
Power! Power! Greed!
And we go to the polls (if we go
at allD and we vote for candi-
date for office because Big Bust
ness tells us to vote for him, Or be-
cause the candidate Is Methodist
or a Catholic, or because he Is la
belled a Democrat or Republican;
or worse still, we vote for him be-
cause we calculate upon some very
personal gain, a share Of the pub
lie "swag' as the politicians call it.
Do we take time out to inquire If
our candidate for office Is honest
and sincere and capable and en-
tirely trustworthy? Why, one asks
those questions about a horse one
is about to buy. Do we inquire II
when elected he will represent the
rank and file of the people, or If,
like so many other office holders
who preceded him in office, he
will become the puppet Of selfish
and powerful interests that prey
upon the people?
It seems to a school boy that
there Is plenty of cause for a whole
lot Of sound, intensive and con-
structive thinking IL this inheri-
lance Of ours Is to endure-if this
nation Of ours Is to be saved to
posterity.
Is It to- be the destiny Of the
school boy Of today to begin to ap-
ply the remedy? If so we are will
ing to assume lne burden. This ma
ton must go on. That inheritance
must endure. There shall be no
scuttling the Ship Of State. Yes, she
shall be drydocked. The barnacles
shall be stripped from her sides and
bottom, and we shall man her with
an honest and skillful crew and she
shall breast the tides and the waves
and ride out any storms that shall
beset her.
The old ship is seaworthy and
she shall be seaworthy for many,
many years. She was built upon
scientific lines. Her ribs are the
sturdy and stalwart Articles Of the
Constitution Of the u. s. A. Her
flag shall continue to wave from
the topmost mast and never shall
it be lowered-the emblem Of Lib
erty and the spirit Of a liberty
loving people and free people. The
Red in her flag shall always re-
mind us Of the blood Of martyred
patriots. The White in her flag
shall be for generations yet un-
born the sign of purity-purity of
ideals and purity Of honor. The
Blue in her flag shall remind us OF
High Heaven whence came upon
our forefathers to envision within
the confines Of this nation the
Brotherhood Of Men and the Faith
erhood OF God. We can and we
shall make this nation the fulfill
ment Of the hopes and ambitions Of
mankind since the beginning of
time.
Thoughtful effort! Thought and
efforti A nation that thinks can
not go far wrong. A nation that
acts intelligently can indeed be
great.
Tom Brown.
NrhC not tn