The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-01-22
Master of Grange
Regrets Our Retreat
From responsibilities
N CharIes ID. ROW

I should like to devote this column
this week to excerpts from timely
and thoughtful address delivered by
Winton Weydemeyer of Fortine at
the annual convention of the Mon
tana State Grange, held at BoZe-
man on December 3-6. Mr.. Wey
demeyer was Master of the State
Grange at that time and was re-
elected to that position at the Boze-
man convention. In these days of
serious initiation and high cost of
living, it is interesting to read what
the State Master of the Grange
thinks about those perplexing pro-
blems A part of his address fol-
lows:
The World Scene
Only an rncurable optimist can
view the state of the world today
without grave concern for the
future of the human race. Having
participated in two terrible World
Wars, at a tremendous sacrifice in
lives. resources. and economic stabil-
itv. America today has reason to
feel that the high goal of repre-
sentative government and individual
freedom toward which we struggled
has vanished like a hooking mirage
amidst the hunger, the confusion,
and the hatred of a choatic Two
Worlds Having helped to batter
the VanQuiShed nations to a state
of economic helplessneSs, we as a
victor nation must now contribute
further of our depleted soils and
forests and mineral resources to
nurse back to health and usefulness
the crippled remnants of the ma
tional groups which we vigorously
fought. as we'll as nations which
we helped save from aggression.
Having in a spirit of mistaken mag
nanimity. and with a naive belief
that our democracy was irreSlstably
CONTAGIOUS, presented to a wartime
comrade nation distinct political
and territorial advantages, we must
now in defense of our country and
our friends among nations wage an
expensive and eXhauSting economic
political, and moral crusade against
the doctrines of the nation we SO
generously aided
Future historians may treat these
two World Wars not as separate
conflicts. but as intermittent bat
ties in a World Revolution which
began decades ago and threatens not
to end for many years to come.
Aided by the new conditions OF
an industrial age, this retrogresslve
revolution seeks to destroy the prln-
ciples of individual freedom and
self-government for which the OPP
pressed peoples of the world have
struggled for many centuries. II
seeks to reestablish the dominance
of the state over its citizens, to
substitute rule by man for rule by
law, to replace division of govern
mental authority with concentra-
ton of political power. The world
wide progress of this revolution has
been achieved not because OF
superior doctrines but because the
forces of liberty have retreated
from responsibility.
Our Retreat From Responsibility
Every farmer knows that fertile
cropland is infested with the seeds
of weeds which grow with VlgoI
unless held in check by carefully
tended crops. Similarly, in the poll
tical field the seeds of personal
power will produce thrifty dictator
ship of assumption of control when
ever the crop of individual respon-
sibility is neglected. For illustra-
ton of this truth we do not need
turn the pages of History, replete
with examples though they may be-
We have only to examine our own
recent past and present as a nation.
Many of you remember, as l do,
the thrill of pride in being an
American that swept over you in
school days as you learned of the
fight for freedom waged by our
heroic forefathers: of the amazing
story of our Constitution and Bill
Of Rights. which illumined to the
vision of all the world moral prin-
ciples of equality of men before
God. and guaranteed individual
rights under a government devised
to serve its citizens. You gloried
in being a citizen of a Society in
which your vote was as strong as
the vote of a millionaire, in which
YOU could assist your neighbors In
Jointly providing education and
opportunity TO your children;
Society in which you were free tc
engage in any occupation you might
choose, and to eXpend the results
of your energy and thrift in what
ever manner you wished And you
assumed this Society could be pre-