The Sauk Centre herald., 1941-09-11

President feel that he has let them
down and are not at all happy
about 1t.
Running True to Form
The American people are a pecu-
liar mixture of shrewdness and
simplicity. When our emotions are
aroused we become as children. In
childhood we play game called
follow the leader" and 1t seems
that we never quite outgrow 1t.
Through life we must have some
one to look up to-someone to fol-
low. Sometimes the leader Is wise
and prudent, as were Washington
and Lincoln; others have been ex-
travagant, wasteful, deceitful and
unpredictable, but one and all held
our loyal allegiance without ques-
tioning. Wasn't he the leader
Above all we love to make sacri-
fices for some cause, be it real or
imaginative. Also, we love to play
Santa Claus, especially If 1t Is with
the other fellows money. In this
alleged crisis we are running true
to form and having the time of
our lives giving, spending, regulat-
ing and making over. The fact
that we have gotten ourselves into
succession of jams has neither
dampened our ardor nor improved
our understanding. 1t must be the
climate for we are told the red
man was as simple as a child.
Price Fixing Looms
If disastrous initiation is to be
avoided, it will be necessary to give
the President power to fix floor
and ceiling on commodity prices
but in order to make such regula-
tions effective a ceiling will also
have to be fixed on wages, which
is the biggest single item of pro-
duction cost. Unless wages are in
cluded in the regulations any at
tempt to prevent a runaway mar
ket will fall flat.
Doesn't Do Us Credit
Many of my older readers will
recall how halls and other meeting
places were refused those who OPP
posed America getting into the
last World War, and as a result
they were compelled to assemble
in barn yards and pastures. We
in Minnesota were particularly re-
pressive and as a result feeling
ran high. I recall that in one
county the voters voted to move
the county seat from a certain
town because they had been re-
fused permission to hold meetings
within the village limits. 1t took
a considerable time for the en-
mites then aroused to die down
but finally horse sense reasserted
itself.
Today we read in the papers that
non-interventionists are being re-
fused halls in a number Of COM
munities in the South. In that
part of the country the people are
strong for intervention because
they have not forgotten the trem-
endous help that England gave
them during the Civil War, espec-
tally in outfitting privateers that
preyed upon our commerce and
nearly succeeded in driving the
stars and stripes from the high
seas.
Denying free speech and free
assemblage is not alone un-Amer-
lean but also illegal as the Con-
stitution of the United States guar
antees both privileges to all Amer
lean citizens. Interventionists are
not going to further their cause
by resorting to strong-arm meth
DDS and smear campaigns. They
are entitled to their views but so
are those who oppose Americas
entrance into the war. We must
not lose sight of the fact that we
will have to live together after the
war is over.
Back Home Again
This letter was prepared at my
home on Whitefish Lake, Crow
Wing County, where I am spend
ing a vacation which will end when
the tax bill goes to conference. If
there is a more beautiful spot in
all the world than northern Min
nesota, more particularly in the
fall, I do not know where 1t Is. In
front of my window the lake lies
like a mirror with millions Of fac
cts that glisten like diamons in
the sun. The shore line is fringed
with pine and birch, mixed with
various hardwoods. Today they
are a dark green. In a few days
we may have a light frost that will
paint the landscape with all the
colors Of the rainbow. The mar.
tins and wrens have left but the
robin remains with us. In the eve.
nings and early mornings the looms