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Page 11 text:
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SALUTATORY “LEST WE FORGET.” Nations are historic organizations. Dower and duty have been assigned to each, not to make them competitors, but rather co-operators. The consciousness of nationality blinds to the fact that they are but joint means to an end, and that end. the service of one humanity. From the mighty dynasties that arose in the world’s young years, to the modern republics of the west, all have contributed to the mosaic of civilization. Each nation has added its especial contribution. One hundred years ago, as today, the influence of America was greater, proportionately to its population and wealth, than that of any nation in the world. The New Evangel— the Declaration of Independence—had thrilled the lovers of liberty throughout the world: and the names of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson and Adams were on the lips of millions. The example of the United States lighted the fires of freedom in France; and the revolution, which then swept away an age—long despotism was followed by the overturning of thrones throughout Western Europe, and the sowing of the new seed—thoughts of the larger life in tons of millions of hearts. Men looked beyond the excesses of the French Revolution—which were but the natural reaction from centuries of crushing injustice and brutal selfishness—to gaze in admiration upon the serene and majestic requblic over the sea, embodying new and radical theories of freedom and human rights, and moving forward under the exalted ideals which had become the ruling influence of her national life. Here was our own country, a nation builded on freedom, bulwarked by justice, and guided by conscience. Wherever throughout the world of oppression, injustice and despotism weighed heavily on a people, the weary eyes turned lovingly to the land of Liberty. With no great army or navy, with no strong defense save the invincible bulwark of a United people’s loyal love, our Republic was, in reality, the greatest world power in Christendom. And our history since that time has been one unparalleled prosperity, but a prosperity which is in itself an indication of the tendency of the time, the peculiar characteristic of the age. Born of the prevailing idea of material progress, the spirit of commercial advantage now has possession of the mass and body of the Americans. Commercialism is the colossal genius of this material epoch, which incarnates the thot that might is right, which gives license to wealth and doom to poverty ; and which is making the twentieth century a century of markets, monopolies and over towering individual fortunes. Paramount in American life, the principal of commercialism is reacting upon the character and integrity of the nation. The distinction between right and wrong bos given way to the subtler one between legal and illegal. In this reign of gold too often does the hand of the plutocrat throttle free speech ; too often does party dictatorship muzzle thepress; 7
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Page 12 text:
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too often does corporate greed refuse a fair quittance to labor; too often does justice smile upon Dives and frown upon Lazarus. The fine idealism of earlier days is lost in materialistic egotism, gross, sordid and voluptuous in spirit and character. In recent years this new commercialism has become strong enough even so to corrupt politics, so that America’s degraded political system is one of the problems of the day. When the people’s representatives become so seduced by the lure of gold that public franchises, worth hundreds of millions of dollars are systematically given away to unscrupulous bands; when this materialistic spirit has become so firmly entrenched as to render practically impossible any radical or effective legislation for the safeguarding of the interests and rights of the people, from the insatiable greed of corporate interests: is it not high time to shake off this parasitic growth which thrusting its gilded tendrils deep into the vitals of the nation, and sapping her life-blood, threatens her very existence? The enormous and ever increasing river of gold, which has thus been made to flow into the coffers of an ever-narrowing privileged class has given to a few scores of men, the wealth and power necessary to drive into retirement the incorruptable statesmen who seriously menace their criminal aggressions; to elevate their own attorneys and tools to vital places in the government; and to gain complete control of great party machines, through ownership of corrupt bosses and by liberal campaign donations. In this manner have they become the absolute arbiters in municipal, state and national government. Is this land America—this land of plutocrats, of “Moloch worshippers”? Lost are the boldness and independence that characterized our fathers! sickened are the champioiis of liberty, in this fetid atmosphere of avarice and greed! To this fountain head may he traced all the moral degradation of the age. America's child-laborers owe their stunted and dwarfed bodies, their meagre sustenance to this greed for gain—this worship of the dollar. Gold! Gold! Gold! What crimes arc not committed in thy name? The slaughter of thousands of America’s young men in the isles of the Orient, the killing of tens of thousands of Filipinos, the ruthless deeds, the debaucheries and the degradation that always mark the trial of an army of conquest, cry out to the sober reason and sleeping conscience of Christian America. America has been loved and honored by the whole world. Shall she descend from the glorious mission to which she has been divinely called to assume the role of a great military power? Shall the true g'ory of the Republic be sacrificed? No, a thousand time' no! For then her .loom is sealed. No war-loving, war-practicing nation can ever continue to live. “They that take the sword shall perish with the sword” No lapse of time ca» avert this inexorable law. Macbeth saw it in his terrible imaginings when he said: “But in these cases. wre still have judgment here—that we can but teach bloody instructions, which being taught return to plague the inventor. But shall we Cassandra like, draw a picture of a future of decadence, a time when constructive effort has fought its fight and failed? When the inevitable segregations of an individualistic system have worked themselves out. and all the hope and vigor of humanity have gone forever? When the descendants of the workers have become sinister monsters and the property owners have degenerated into a hectic and feebly indulgent race, living faithfully amid the ruins of the present time? No! Never! But with renewed courage, let each citizen devote himself to the cause of justice and humanity. Let his be a patriotism, brave enough to face without flinching the threat of the lobbyist, noble enough to scorn
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