Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

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THE CHIMES 5 WAR OR PEACE Jessje Drake, ' 39 Today, April 6, 1938, marks the entrance of the United States of America into the World War. Twenty-one years ago the government of the United States made the decision which sent the Youth of America to Europe and thousands of American citizens to their death, in a war of European nations. As we mark this twenty-first anniversary of that event, war with all its horrors is going on in Europe. We are continually being told by states- men of the world that another world war, which with all the new war ma- chines must be far worse than any former one, is but a matter of time. In Spain a civil war of more than a year ' s duration is being carried on, still as fiercely fought as at the first. Japan is devastating the lands of China. Two of the bigger powers of Europe are under the iron rule of dictators, and but a few weeks ago Germany, led by Adolph Hitler, marched into Austria and proclaimed German rule there. France is without a stable government. England is still trying to decide whether or not they really wanted Eden to resign. And we in the United States are fighting for our bread and butter. France because of the lack of government is, of course, not ready for war. England, carrying out to some extent the World War treaties, had until a short time ago been disarming. Now, though she is rearming, she is not fitted for war. The United States has adopted a hands-off policy; but in time of war could we keep to this policy? The time is not far distant, when with the aid of airplanes it would be but a matter of hours for troops to be transported, and for bombing planes to do their damage. With such an appalling outlook, on this twenty-first anniversary, the powers of the world must find some way to restore good will and confidence in one another. All must lose through war, all can win through cooperation and peace. A PARADOX John Driscoll, ' 38 The ordinary person, when discussing the framers of the Constitution, declares that those men were very democratic and liberal. He also thinks they were very wise in choosing such a liberal type of government. He cannot think otherwise, for even high school textbooks give false impres- sions concerning these men. Woodrow Wilson, one of our greatest statesmen, stated, The Federal Government was not by intention a democratic government. In plan and structure it had been meant to check the sweep and power of popular majorities. Indeed his words are very true although people don ' t like to believe them.

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4 THE CHIMES EDITORIALS WHAT SHALL I BE? Theodore Vinal, ' 38 In your last year of school, you are confronted with one of the most difficult problems of your life. Buffeted about by graduation, plays, school publications, and homework is the ever-present and serious question, What shall I be? This presents, indeed, a very hard decision, for on this choice rests the peace and security of the latter part of your life. Many people have sup- pressed ideas in the imaginative part of their brain of doing something adventurous or deeds with a romantic appeal, but most of these people fall inevitably into the rut of a prosaic existence and go on and on till the end of their days, doing the same tedious and almost hideous tasks. That will probably be your fate, as well as that of many others, but at times, it does no harm to stir up the fires of your imagination, and allow them to burn fervently a few hours while you conjure up images and im- pressions of what you ' d really like to do for your vocation. Perhaps you see yourself in a native craft paddling up the Amazon, with two chocolate-brown men wielding the paddles. Or you might see yourself armed with pick and shovel digging relics out of the blistering Gobi desert, or struggling up the side of a Tibetan mountain, with a gigan- tic ellow-skinned guide, to an old monastery. But the dream, in most cases, is not to be, and as the embers of the imagination smolder and flicker out, your thoughts turn to the more tan- gible things. For your vocation you must have some special aptitude, you must choose work that is not or will not become obsolescent. Then the wages, the hours, the chance for advancement, the working conditions, and the demand for workers in such vocations, come in for due consideration. There is more than that, however; people hate to commit themselves to something that will dominate their lives. They ' re afraid they ' ll make a mi-take, and regret it the remainder of their lives. Of course, there are manv who never decide, but just drift into a certain line of work, and are never able to pull themselves out of its rut. The choosing of a vocation certainly merits a great deal of consid- eration, and the thought, What shall I be, should be considered from every angle, and decided upon now.

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6 THE CI II MKS 01 all the seventy-three delegates that were appointed to the conven- tion, there were nl two members who stood for true demoeraey. These men were John Mason from Virginia and Benjamin Franklin. Diekinson, a delegate from Pennsylvania, declared that a limited monarchy was the I) l government in the world. Praetieally all the delegates were opposed to popular election to the upper house and many of the delegates thought the ordinary people were ineapable of even electing representatives to the lower house. Governor Morris, Rufus King of Massachusetts, Rutledge of South Carolina, pretending to be liberals, at the same time thought wealth should be a requirement for admittance to the lower house. One of the delegates, William Pierce of Georgia, who sat in the con- vention, in his humorous and delightful character sketches of his fellow associates, says nothing of several delegates except that they were gentle- men of family and fortune. Certainly these aristocratic men weren ' t for democracy. These men were in agreement with Gerry of Massachusetts who declared the bad condition of the country was due to an excess of democracy. Just think how democratic was Hamilton ' s plan which called for a President for life with an absolute veto; a senate for life; and a lower house elected by popular election, practically an imitation of the English Government. One of the greatest weaknesses of our elective system dates back to the framers of our Constitution. By our system of electoral votes it is possible for the minority candidate to be elected. The reason for this is that the delegates at the convention thought the ordinary person didn ' t have intel- ligence enough to vote for President. Accordingly then, the people would elect the more intelligent people of the community to vote for President. These men with all their aristocratic leanings and their failings, how- ever, did draw up a Constitution which was and still is considered a master- piece. So great was it that Gladstone, for years Prime Minister of England, declared that the Constitution was the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man. Thus these delegates, who intended a reactionary government in which only wealthy persons could take part, turned out a true and real democracy, which with that of France, ir. the only democracy in the world today. DISAPPOINTMENT Joan Breen, ' 38 Worry! Worry! Worry! That ' s all her life consisted of lately. From early morning to late at night her mind was in a turmoil, and it was all she could do to keep her thoughts on the subject at hand. The very worst part of it was that no one understood or sympathized with her. How she hated