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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1939)
THE OMAHA GUIDE EDITORIALS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE To the Flage of the United States •f America and to the Republic for which it stands—one nation, Indivisible, with Liberty and Jus tice for AIL FLAG DAY REMARKS Address by Atty. Robert J. Webb Past Commander of Omaha Post No. 1 American Legion. Given on June 11, 19J9 at Hanseom Park on Elks Flag Day Services. We are assembled today to snow our respect and reverence for our be loved stars and stripes, the flag of our country. Of course it is not the texture of the material contained in our flag or the novelty or artistry of its design that brings us together in this observance of Flag Day, but the principles, ideals and traditions of which our flag is symbolic. The flag, sometimes affectionately referred to as “Old Glory,” symbolizes our na tional constitution, the law and order which our constitution guarantees, and justice and individual rights. Truly the flag represents all that good citizenship means. To me it is a privi lege to be a participant in this program and I am sure each and everyone of this audience likewise consider it a privilege as an American citizen to so participate. It is altogether fitting and appro priate that this program should be un der the sponsorship of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The Elks is a thorough American organiz ation. It was founded in the United States. It is definitely a patriotic order and its fundamental teachings are equality of mankind, tolerance, charity and love of ones fellowmen. In fact its principles closely paradel those of our country, and its membership is a true cross section of the citizenry of this country. Wherever the stars and stripes fly you will find organized EJkdom, and no where else. If there was ever a time wnen we as citizens of this country should give serious thought to the principle's of Americanism that time is right now. No words of mine are required to ac quaint you with the present situation. Screaming headlines in the daily pa pers and the voice of the radio are con stantly bringing to your attention events and conditions which wo cannot afford to ignore. Well do we know that the continents of Europe and Asia and practically all of the world except our Western Hemisphere, is a seething caldron of hate and intolerance, and only by a strict adherence to the prin ciples of Americanism and the preser vation of the heritage from our fore fathers can we avoid being drawn into a conflict which seems inevitable, or sharing in the consequences of it. It is exercises like these in which we are taking part that can bring us to a true realization of the value of our form of government and its principles, ideals and tradition. The greatest danger, it seems to me lies in the fact that we are prone to take our priceless heritage, and the rights and privileges which we enjoy, too lightly and too much for granted. The world for some time has been ra pidly dividing into two schools of thought as to forms of government. On the one hand we see the so-caHed tota litarian state, whether its basis W Fascism, Nazism or Communism, un der which form of government the in dividual exists only for the state; and on the other hand our own form of government, under which the state fikists only for thejvell being of the individual members composing the state, and to insure to them their God given rights and privileges. The tota litarian state is maintained vy the con trol of press and assemblage, thereby restraining five expression of thought and by the molding of youth according to the pattern desired. Anything that stands in the way, religion, family life, fraternal or other organizations with philosophic prin ciples of their own is brushed aside and suppressed. Just the opposite was true in the beginnings of our beloved country. Religion, the family, and so cial and fraternal contacts with our neighbors are the very cornerstones of our nation. In using the term reli gion I do not mean any particular creed or dsr.ctnir.aticn, but rather a belief in a Supreme Bring, a Divine Master who guides us in our daily lives and deliberations. Ou.r forefathers were uoo iearing na n. ui inai uiere can be no question. The deliberations out of which grew these United States Were held in a deeply religious atmos phere. Too often this is lost sight of in these latter years, and a great deal of loose talk and assertions are heard which might lead one to believe that exactly the contrary was true. Too often we forgot the Declara tion of Independence, and if we have not forgotten that such an instrument existed, we are rather hazy as to its contents. Some quotations from that document might be helpful in acquaint ing us with the atmosphere in which the birth of this nation took place. That Declaration, promugated long before we had a constitution contains this truism: “We hold these truths to be self-evidont, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with a certain inalienable rights; that among them are life, liber ty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Is there any doubt as to the philosophy of life of the architects of our form of government. Many oi you nave doubtless seen an inscription carved in the stone on our Capitol Bldg., at Lincoln, as fol lows: “The salvation of the States lies in the watchfulness of its citizens.” In that sentence there is contained, it seems to me, a great deal of food for thought at the present time. All of us are aware that for some time, and at this moment, a campaign is being car ried on by various organizations sew ing the needs of dissatisfaction, intol erance and hate in our own and other countries of the new7 world, with the hope that by such implantation this country also may be turned from its present form of government. It is per haps a paradox that in order to pre serve our form of government we must permit, under the principles of freedom of expression, assemblage, etc., this insidious propaganda to con tinue, which would not for a moment be tolerated in the very quarters from which it has its source. The only effect ual way in which we can combat and overcoime these sinister forces which seek to destroy our form of govern ment and deprive us of our precious li berties, is to constanly inculcate in our citizens, and especially in our youth, by every possible means, a reverence for the principles, ideals and traditions of our government. We pause in our daily life on occasions such as this and seriously review7 the events which led to the founding our our beloved coun try and brought it to its present great ness. We must reflect upon the hard ships, the toil and the sacrifices of our forefathers, as soldiers, statesmen, and pioneers, and builders, that they might transmit to us the blessings which we now enjoy. Our strength lies in the intelli gence of the mass of our people. When the mass-mind is infantile and unrea soning it is ripe for the demagogue and self-seeker. It is therefore of para mount importance that all good citi zens and all patriotic organizations in this country stress §n all possible oc casions the study of Americanism. We must realize that the teachers of our schools today make up the front line of our nation’s peace time defense; that our schools must go forward; that cur youth must be given an oppor tunity of educating themselves, and that the keynote of that education must be Americanism. Let us just briefly review and con trast what each of the two general op posing forms of government have to offer their citizens. Under our system there can be no law restricting the es tablishment of any particular religion or prohibiting the free exercise there of. There can be no abridgment of free dom of speech, of the press, or of the i ight of assemblage. In all of the tota litarian states, however freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the press and the right of assembly have been suspended. In one of these coun tries the government controls the. church, dictates its policy and doc trines, and harasss and persecutes those who worship God according to some other creed which their con science dictates; and at least one other of these countries aims at the destruc tion of all forms of religion, is intol erant of the worship of the Supreme Being in any form; in fact actually teaches hatred of God. In our country the right of the people to be secure in their persons, papttrs and effects a gainst searches and seizures is con stitutionally guaranteed. In the tota litarian states organzations of secret police can make arrests, raid private homes, or seize private property, with out warrants or other legal documents. In American no persons can be held to answer for capital or other infam ous crime except on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury. And in all criminal prosecutions the accused en joys the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, and no per son be twice put in jeopardy of life and limb for tho same offense. We provide that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines be im posed, nor cruel nor unusual punish ments inflicted. In dictator countries the secret police can hold persons with out trial or public hearings as long as they please. Trial by jury is not guar anteed. Many trials are held secretly and the judge does not consider the rights of the individual, but the will of the doctor. Ruthlessness is consid ered a powerful weapon in the hands of government agencies and is approv ed under the totalitarian form of gov ernment. With us, the right of citizens to vote may not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Everyone is equal before the law. In some countries ruled by dictators, persons of certain classes, races or creeds do not enjoy the same rights as others. (If actually it can be said there are really any rights for anyone.) Elections in those countries are mere formalities. Every one votes as directed. It is dangerous to life and property to dissent. Let us just briefly carry on this contrast from an economic standpoint. America is the most powerful nation on earth; has an industrial system that revolutionized world trade; mass pro duction that made possible the highest standard of living in the world; na tional resources that make other coun tries look poor; inventive genius that has ushered in most of the miracles of the ages in which we live; the electric light, the electric motor, the internal combustion engine, automobiles, movies, airplanes, radio, telegraph, telephone and countless other am^&ing inventions. We contain only 6% of the world’s area and 7% of its population, yet consume normally about 50% or more of the world’s coffee, tin, rubber, pig iron and copper; about 75 per cent of its silk and crude petroleum; about one fourth of its sugar and over one third of its coal. We operate 60 per cent of the world’s telegraph facilities. We have, one telephone for every seven persons, compared to one for every 18 in the country which most nearly ap proaches us. We own 80 per cent of all the motor cars in use in the world. If our people and those of other countries had to pack up and move by automo bile tomorrow, in the country which most nearly approaches us, one would ride and ten would walk. In another country one would ride and 20 would walk, and still another, one would ride and 150 w ould walk. All would ride in America. We posses approximately one half of the world’s gold supply. America has twTo thirds of all civiliza tion’s banking resources. The purchas ing power of our people is greater than that of the 500 million people in Europe and much larger than that of one bil lion Asiatics. In 1938 we consumed 260 billion pounds of food, an average of one ton a person. No other country’s people were fed in like manner? We have in America in abundance* almost everything that anyone apywhere wants; libertly, opportunity, wealth and security. We have* the best govern ment in the world. Every citizen in America has the privilege to kick, squawk, complain and protest about e verything he doesn’t like. He can cri ticize the government and government officials wherever — whenever he feels the urge, and as many times as he feels the urge. He can give effect to his re monstrances by voting at the polls as he wrants to. Where is there another government wrhich gives its citizens such lea way? One could continue for hours to e numerate the advantages of our citi zens over the people in other countries. Yet there are those in this country, many of them, who have never stopp ed to count their blessings as Americ an citizens. These things are taken for granted. Never is a thought given as to how it happened that they are enjoying these blessings, and worst of all, many give no thought to the pres ervation of these blessings. Let us place our faith in this. Each succeed ing generation has carried on, has been true to the trust imposed upon it, and through fidelity to the ideals of our fathers this republic has survived. Down through the years of this coun try’s existence the offspring of the founding fathers, in war and in peace, have been true to the principles, ideals and traditions of our government, and have steadfastly followed the trails blazed for them. And just so long as this succession continues, the safety and preservation of our beloved coun try is assured, but if the day ever com es that a generation is unwilling to de fend and preserve with all of its .en ergy and to its last breath, this country and heritage of ours, that day our foro fathers will have toiled, suffered and died in vain. -out) HISTORY IN THE MAKING For the first time in the history of Elkdom in America, the Offi cers of Omaha Lodge Number 39 BPOE Elks in person extended an invitation to the IBPOE of W Lodge Number 92, to join them at 27th and Leavenworth Sts., in a parade from there to Hanscom Park to commemorate Flag Day Services. Hats off and in hand to Omaha Lodge Number 39 BOPE. Elks for showing their spirit of tolerance in this commemorated services for a new day and a more fully cooperation in the great nrinciples for which these two of America’s own lodges Stand for. . t1 . ^
