The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-11-04

ditch stands! WIN my aunt dno
grandmother it was a revival
meeting. know man who ar
rived at that ultimate spiritual
defense point in. connection with
certain government form.
With me, it was The Hombure
You see. we are all either the
proud product Of, or the surviv-
ing remnants of, the dauntless
spirit of American Independence
that brought this nation into being.
Americans became Americans be-
cause there was in them that final
intangible line past which their
Independence could not be invad-
ed. ~
I recall the Juror in the small
Kansas community in which my
parents lived that resulted from
the defiance Of my aunt and
grandmother. These good and pi-
Gus women were attending q SER
les Of meetings conducted in the
church by a visiting evangelist.
He was not only outspoken in his
denunciation of all manners and
customs that he considered sinful,
but he demanded the open pledge
of church goers that they would
renounce, once and for all, the
specific evil under discussion at
the moment.
This well-intentioned divine
had taken up a number Of cardi-
nal sins, and had secured the pub
lie endorsement of his hearers
that they would no more commit
them Gf they had ever committed
them, or Contemplated committing
them).
Then came the evening when he
asked all good Christians in the
audience to stand in pledge that
they would never dance again.
And, Of all the congregation, on
ly my aunt and grandmother re-
manned seated.
Now these were not, in any
sense, sinful women. To the best
Of the knowledge of our entire
family, neither of them had ever
danced; nor did they ever intend
to dance.
AS a matter Of fact, we were
quite certain that if either Of
them ever essayed it, they would
feel as uncomfortable and awk-
ward as a cow on ice skates.
The revivalist had simply thrust
his sermonizinz too deeply into
the regions Of their individual
liberty and Independence. And
beyond that point they would not
bulge one fraction Of an inch.
They were good women. and
they were proud women; and we
were proud Of them for standing
fast in the independence that was
their native right.
To get along to the man and
the government form - he was
asked to sign statement that I
am sure must have been signed
by thousands of American citi-
zens without a protest. To him,
however, it represented a bold
and unwarranted invasion of his
personal liberties, and he fatty
to sign the form.
I know how these people felt.
There are certain compilations,
social, governmental and spirituai,
that force degradation and igno-
bility upon the human spirit Il
force it to such an extent that they
must be resisted to the limit OF
the individuals ability to resist.
That's the way it was with me
and The Homburg Hat.
/ had this hat among my pos
sessions when / came to the state
of Washington from Denver. I'll
was literally the only nat I own
ed. Thus, last winter When days
grew cold, / got it out. brushed it
up, and wore it on my head.
That is something I shall not
deny - wore it on my head, and
n public, too.
Comments bout comments
started coming back to me. "Who
S this guy, Clark, who thinks
ne's so much? What's he trying
o do, be a big shot?" That was the
general tenor of them.
One of my closest friends came
o me privately and told me .for
ny own good, I'm sure: HAL, if
you never do anything else, burn
,r bury or otherwise destroy thar
Iomburg Hat. The town doesn't
ike it,
At the moment, all I could think
If was bunch of old biddy-bid-
es sitting around the tea table
PLANNING blackball for the LADY,
rho wanted to get into their or
=snization. because: my dear, she
.ears the most ridiculous hiatt"
gave the matter serious
bought. Frankly the hats de-
truction would be small loss to
ne. 1t has seen it's best days. But,
he more ! thought of it, the more
ny spirit revolted at the idea OIL
trucking to any man or anyi
group of men, who proposed to-
censor something as near and per-