The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1955-08-11

enteen marriages; in 1900, one mar
riage in every fourteen ended in
divorce; by 1910, one marriage in
every eleven went on the rocks; in
1920, one in every eight; in 1880
one in every six; and in 1852, the
last year for which complete sta
tistics are available, one marriage
in every four foundered on the di-
vorce shoals.
As Gibbon so truly stated, the
home is the basis of human society.
With one marriage out of every
four now eliminating in divorce,
in many cases causing broken
homes the basis of our American
Society is being dangerously
undermined With so many dis
rupted homes. it is small wonder
that juvenile delinquency is run
ming rampant. On the divorce issue
/ America follows the dangerous
course pursued by Rome prior to
its fall.
2. Higher and higher taxes-the
spending of money for free bread
and circuses.
1t is hardly necessary for me TO
state that in this category, the
United States is emulating the tax
situation that existed in Rome's
halcyon days before the bubble
burst. Our Federal, State and local
Governments have been on a
spending binge that inevitably
must end in a severe financial
headache
The Great White Father at
Washington for the past twenty
five years has made the Roman
Emperors look like pikers, when
it comes to free handouts. Pater-
nalism, Roman style, is the order
Of the day along the banks of the
Potomac. Initiative, self-reliance,
and thrift are rapidly being re-
placed by sloth, dependence on
government and waste On the tax
and wasteful spending issues, we
are outdoing the worst efforts of
the Romans
3. The mad craze for pleasure;
sports becoming every year more
exciting and more brutal.
On this issue it can be said we
follow the sad example of Rome
only in part AS nation we are
fanatically pursuing pleasure. The
shorter work week has given most
of us an opportunity to indulge our
selves in that respect. However,
we are not engaging in more bru-
tai spOrts-the reverse is actually
the case
a. The building of gigantic arma-
ments when the real enemy is with
in-the decadence Of the people.
Well, America is building gigan-
tic ornaments to protect us from
enemies abroad, the while we per-
nit the enemies within-the Com
mics, the Fellow-Travelers, the So
cialiSts and the so-called liberals
to undermine the American Way
which has been the chief source of
our national strength and well-be-
ing. Here again we follow closely
the pattern set by Rome.
5. The decay of religion; fading
into a mere form, losing touch with
life and becoming impotent to
guide the people.
Here America seems not to be
travelling the primrose pathway
trod by Rome During the past few
years, there has been reaWaken-
ing to the spiritual values on which
America was founded Increased
church membership and attendance
are two evidences that our motto
In God We Trust" has been rein
stated in the minds and hearts of
the American people
To sum up, America dangerously
parallels the sad example of Rome
on four of five counts listed by
Gibbon as having caused the de-
cline and downfall of that once
great Republic This columnist
hopes and prays that America, hav-
ing started to reverse its course on
the fifth count, this now great Re-
public will awaken to the grave
danger inherent in the other four.
Perfect stalactites, as thin as