Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 July 1948 — Page 10

CERRY ay

The Indianapolis Times|

ROY W. HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE President Editor : i

PAGE 10 Monday, July 5, 1948 A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

HENRY W. MANZ Business Manager

=>

“Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by Indianapolis Times Publishing Co. 214 W. Maryland St. Postal Zone 9. = Member of United Press, Scripps - Howard . Newspaper Alliance, NEA Service, and Audit Bureau of Circulations. Price in Marion County, 5 cents a copy; delivered by carrier, 25¢c a week. Mail rates in Indiana, $5 a year; all other states, U. 8. possessions, Canada and Mexico, $1,10 a month. Telephone RIley 5551.

Give Light and the People Will Find Thew Own Way

Certain Inalienable Rights THERE is something the matter with our instinctive attitude toward history. ? I’; was 172 years ago today, for instance, when representatives of the n Colonies gathered in Philadelphia and declared that “all men are . . . endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” : That's all over and settled. It happened a long, long time ago. It's all ancient history. But is it? Instinctive attitude here is not unlike the instinctive attitude of the small child who looks up at his 25-year-old father and sees an old, old man. ‘

88 8 : s =» IT'S A MATTER of perspective. As a matter of fact that meeting in Philadelphia was held but yesterday. The self-evident facts so boldly asserted were, in fact, extremely controversial. They remain controversial, not only in distant dictatorships but right here at home. Our form of government is known popularly as a democracy—from the Greek word demos, meaning the mob, or, the people. The will of the majority prevails. ! But the men in Philadelpliia were interested primarily in protecting themselves against tyranny. Tyranny meant the British king, whose long list of offenses against the peace and dignity of British subjects in America were listed in detail in the Declaration.

. 8 8 © . 0» ~ BUT TYRANNY is a constant menace in any state, whether it be the tyranny of a king or dictator, or the tyranny of a selfish, irresponsible majority. MEG “For this reason the Declaration referred to certain rights as “God-given and inalienable.” These rights, afterwards listed in further detail in the Constitution, could not be taken away, even by a democratic majority. These rights, as listed in the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, are correctly termed the “Bill of Rights.” ‘They include: Freedom of religion, free speech, free press, freedom to assemble and petition the government, fredom from arbitrary search and seizure, trial by jury, freedom from seizure of private property without due process of law and fair compensation. "These and others constitute the body of morals upon which our government is founded. . They provide the essential point of difference between our system of government and dictatorial systems which have in Europe in the last generation and con-

8%

Rane ® 8 Gacs {i THE CITIZENS in these afflicted countries have no rights which are recognized as “self-evident.” Their lives, their liberty and gheir pursuit of happiness are subject to the arbitrary will of their political masters. ¢ ‘It need not be assumed that in all cases the citizens of » states were violently deprived of these liberties. In Ger , among others, there was ample evidence of majority support for Hitler. A fair election in Russia probably would show a large majority for Stalin. 1 The bait which induced these majorities to accept the dhains of the state is invariably the promise of material henefit: More food, better housing, better jobs. With this js combined an appeal to prejudice, racial, religious, or fconomic. . Once the citizen has taken the bait and accepted the chains, he is helpless. He does not get the promised matetial benefits, He often is the victim of the cruelties promfed for the minorities he thought he hated.

. 8 8 a! 8 = ! WITHOUT question American belief in the validity of these “certain” inalienable rights” has been weakened in the last generation..." : : i ~. A Congress conscious of pressure-grouy influence has sought to vote them away. A Supreme Court; influenced &¥ political partisans rather than judges, has sought to thisel them away through cynical decisions. { We hold these rights to be God-given. Infringement is got only illegal. It is wicked and immoral. . ‘That meeting in Philadelphia is not ancient history. It's still in session. + The decent citizen must pay attention, lest we also throw away these rights upon which our way of life is based.

Can This Be ‘Slave Labor’?

HE very left-wing United Electrical, Radio and Machine ™ Workers (CIO) is one of the bitterest critics of the Taft-Hartley “slave labor” act. : . Though it represents hundreds of thousands of workers, its officers have refused to take the non-Communist oath, which would give them use of NLRB facilities for collective bargaining. Nevertheless the UE now reports that in the past year it has signed up 72 new employers, has won $100,000,000 in

BAERS TT sai AR

Bue th grow, despite the defeat of naziism and fasicism +

wage increases for 450,000 members. . ' Médny who don’t belong to any union think the Taft Hartley act has flaws. But the charge that it makes for “slave labor,” or that it renders labor unions impotent, is

under the law.

Stars Under the Stars THE Butler Bowl season opening next Saturday with #* “The Desert Song” is a newspaperman’s delight. It’s local, it's good, it's a first-rate civic enterprise. . Unlike some forms of imported commercial entertainment, it isn't heralded by ballyhoo and press-agentry. It

disproved by the UE’s own boasts of its accomplishments |

doesn’t need gimmicks to sell it, as the Indianapolis Theater tion's advance boxoffice sales indicate. f° The “Stays Under the Stars” program does its own igging. And the many thousands of people who enjoyed jast summer's outdoor entertainment in the Bowl will need ‘a0 urging to help make this season even more successful.

In Tune With the Times

Barton Rees Pogue

a —————— WE'RE A PART OF THIS GREAT

NATION

We're a part of this great nation, With its schools for education, With roads for transportation, That are free. We're proud of our great mountains, Our parks and sparkling fountains, And the streams that ramble to the sea. We love our lakes for fishing, Pails of cool ice cream for dishing, An evening star for wishing, And Old Glory as we watch her wave. We prize each fall election, Baseball games in ev'ry section, . Holidays, time-honored, for our brave; We're a part of this great nation, Hopes are high, high our elation— We pray in supplication— God, keep it free! =GEORGE 8. SHLMAN, Anderson.

THE AMERICAN WAY

We like the American way, For we are proud to be Free-born and free-bred, “From sea to shining sea”!

We advance the American way. We elect the truly elite To serve the people— Be they Fifth Avenue of Main Street.

We honor the American way, That respects our souls And our capabilities— That helps us reach our goals,

We reverence the American way, That gives us our chance, Whatever race or creed, For freedom of worship and material advance.

We preserve the American way Of a people-free and strong, To our “way of living” We lift this day our song!

~MILDRED C, YOUNG, Indianapolis. *. 0 D ‘

TO OUR FLAG

Red, White, and Blue—Our Country's Flag, Unfurled on freedom’s lands and seas— The glory in your stars and stripes Is wafted out upon the breeze. ardent love for native soil, . As bred into each human heart, Is born undying love for you— Of life, itself, a counterpart.

You hold your glowing colors high, To wave above our vast domain, With loyal, vivifying zeal— Through war and peace, through loss and gain. Your animation reaches far, Instilling, time and time again, The truest patriotic worth Into the hearts of country-men. ¢ —MARY HAGLER 1aMaSTERS, Franklin,

OLD GLORY

Red, White and Blue, the symbol of A free, unfettered land. Red for the blood of the heros, Who fell that the world might stand.

White for the emblem of courage They left for us here below, And honor they fondly cherished And died to prove it so.

"Blue for hearts they Toft Tonely, a “ As they followed the noble way, And gave us the right to celebrate Our Independence Day! —SUE ALLEN, Indisnapolis.

STARS. AND STRIPES FOREVER

The grand old flag has been mislaid! With forty-eight stars * And her thirteen bars, She is wanted today for the flag parade.

This is the day for flags unfurled, To hang in the street, And with fine conceit Decry oppression in the world.

We're hunting the grand old flag, laid away; We want her to fly For the Fourth of July, . And cry for this new Independence Day.

There she ig! She is found! Shake out her bars, Halil her bright stars, So all mankind may hear the sound!

—BARTON REES POGUE, Upland. ¢ ¢ o

FOSTER'S FOLLIES

(“NEW YORK-—Wallace Is Lining Up Cabinet, Rally Hears.”) It seems Henry's satisfaction With his future is complete. Judging by his latest action, He envisions no defeat.

But though Hank's designs enthrall us Time may sée his plans upset. We can’t picture Mr. Wallace As a cab’net-maker—yet!

Side Glances—By Galbraith

| copm. 1948 BY AEA SERVICE. INC. 7. M. REO. UU, 8. PAT. OFF.

‘ “That's his day's worke—ha'll fuss around the yard

furiously for 15 minutes, then decide he'll knock off and go play golf!”

SEER Sr A _ on

We Hoped for a Safe

and Sane Fourth -

OUR TOWN . . . By Anton Scherrer

OF PARTICULAR significance today is the suppressed fact that the 80th Congress appropriated the necessary funds to build a monument in memory of Francis Scott Key. Captious critics of “the worst Congress this * ‘country ever had” will dismiss the act, no doubt, with the synical observation that it took the Republicans an awful long time to get around to it — a criticism utterly unmindful of the historical fact that our national anthem is only 17 years old. It surprised me, too. However, it's the gospel truth. Not until 117 years after the birth of “The Star-Spangled Banner” did a Congress— the 724, this time—see fit to give the Key baby a decent baptism. (I was disappointed not to hear it mentioned when, a fortnight ago in Philadelphia, the Republicans enumerated the blessings of Herbért Hoover's administration.) In the 17 years of its legitimation, “The Star-Spangled Banner” has taken one terrific beating after another. And one of the worst occurred the night of June 24 when 1094 Republican delegates, abetted by as many more alternates, attempted to sing the song. It sounded as if they had murder in their hearts when, as a matter of fact, they had nething - more on tieir minds than the nomination of Thomas E. (Edmund) Dewey. Any matter pertaining to or affecting poesy and music is of instant concern to one who, like me, follows the arts with a fond and jealous eye. And it is because of this deep-seated concern that the rest of today’s plece takes the turn it does. The reason nobody—not even Republicans— can sing our national anthem is because its music is of bibulous origin. Which is to say that Francis Scott Key's serious words are set to the ture of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” a rollicking drinking song. You heard me.

How the Song Got to America

THE devil-may-care words were written by Ralph Tomlinson, a lovable 18th Century toper who, at that moment, happened to be articulate. The music was by John Stafford Smith, an uncertain tenor buf able organist, who also profited by the perquisites of a cryptic office known as “Composer to His Majesty's Chapel.” The . song was familiar to all convivial souls in the British Isles around 1800. It was composed at " least 15 years earlier, a detail lugged into today’s piece to show the length of time it takes for a tune to catch on in England. To Anacreon in Heaven” was composed for the Anacreontic Society of London, a carefree jolly organization not unlike the Indianapolis

By Marquis Childs

WASHINGTON, July 5—This is the centennial of a monument. Just a century ago the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was put in place. There are a great many monuments in Washington. Some are ugly, some memoralize forgotten mien, some .are just plain misplaced and ludicrous. % But through a fortunate combination of circumstances the monument to Wa n was ‘made to fit the greatness of the man. In its simplicity, its dignity, its grandeur, that soaring shaft of marble could not be excelled. Even as the capita! has grown and the greedy and the self-seeking have from time to time seemed to take over. It has remained to remind the doubters and the disillusioned of what courage, integrity, character can mean.

SOLID and enduring as the monument is, it has its moods and its moments. I think I like it best in October when the great elms around the mall have lost their leaves and the light is clear and sharp. . . You can hardly see lt, even though you see it a thousand times, without thinking of the man whom it memorializes. As he was the chief architect of our independence, slaving and toiling and sweating for it, so he should have the chief monument in the city that bears his name. For this anniversary Chalmers M. Roberts has put together a book of pictures and text, “The Washington Monument, The Story of a National Shrine.” It contains a great many interesting facts about the obelisk that dominates the horizon of the capital. :

Know Why Nobody Can Sing ‘Star-Spangled Banner’? Read On

Maennerchor today. The British boys met fortnightly to “make music” at the Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand; with the inevitable result, of course, that immeditely after the concerts, the exhausted singers had to wet their whistles (a practice which has its counterpart in the Athenaeum to this day). The sign to start tippling (we are back in London) came from the chairman, who rose and sang the constitutional song. Sure, “To Anacreon in Heaven.” It is reasonable to assume that the song was circulated in America by way of the Columbian Anacreontic Society, a New York club founded in 1795. And it is definitely certain that Baltimore had a copy of the song in 1814, the year

Mr. Key thought up “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Let's Stabilize the Tempo

LEGEND has it that, on that occasion, an itinerant actor by the name of Ferdinand Durang went through his trunk to find music to suit the rhythm of Mr. Key's words. He ran across “To Anacreon in Heaven” and, right away, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was committed to a miserable life of ups and downs— as a matter of fact, five whole notes over an octave. The hitching of severely serious words to rollicking, riotous music was an unfortunate marriage, to say the least. But now that the 80th Congress has memorialized the marriage there is nothing to be done about it—so far as I can see—except let the two live together as best they can. However, some agreement should be reached whereby the tempo of our national anthem is fixed to some degree. As it is, every performer has a notion that he can sing (or play) “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he damn pleases. To give you some idea of what I have to put up with: Serge Koussevitzky (Boston Symphony) treats “The Star-Spangled Banner” as if it were a dirge. Arthur Rodzinski (when employed) whips up the tempo a teepy-weeny bit with the result that it sounds more like a requiem. George Szell beats Mr. Rodzinski by five seconds, and our own Fabien Sevitzky is three seconds livelier than Mr. Szell, Arthur Fiedler (Boston Pops) is way out ahead of Mr. Sevitzky-—a matter of some six seconds, I should say. Seems Mr. Fiedler is the only one of the entire lot who senses (to some degree) the alcoholic content of our national anthem. Unless something is done to stabilize the

“Hoosier Forum

Place. E Every day’s newspapers Carry one,

tempo of “The Star-Spangled Banner”—and immediately, too—I'll venture the prediction that | the folks over in Europe will declare these United States of America the least united of | any country in the world.

Among the 20,000 persons present on July 4, 1848, when the cornerstone was laid, were six men who were to occupy the White House, One was President James K. Polk and another was | ex-President Martin Van Buren. James Buchanan, Secretary of State in the Polk cabinet, was among the dignitaries. Abraham Lincoln ‘was present that day, an obscure member of Congress from Illinois. So were two other Congressmen who would eventually move into the White House, Millard Fillmore and Andrew Johnson. In the competition for a prize-winning design, all sorts of monstrosities were submitted, including a Victorian gimcrack closely resembling, if one may judge from the design, the hideous Albert Memorial in London. Indian pagodas and Italian renaissance towers were among the proposals submitted to the committee that proposed to raise the funds by public

Public Subscriptions Began It ans

In the original design for the obelisk, its base was to have been a pantheon containing portraits and 'mementoes of Revolutionary heroes. Fortunately, the pantheon concept got lost at some point or other and what we have today is the simple obelisk.

‘Command Homage of the Ages’ PUBLIC subscription raised the monument to 154 feet by 1854, There it stopped until Congress took over in the midst of the centennial fervor in 1876. Then. again zealous architects

. came forward with new and elaborate ideas.

But again the obelisk was preserved. In December, 1884 the apex was completed, and on Washington's birthday the following year the aluminum capstone was set in

"1 do not agree with a word that you s : wil defend vo the desth your Hohl fo ror os Time to Do Some Thinking

A. J. Schneider, 504 West Dr, Woodrug

B i

Fei gil}

i

authority to think for millions—it is a one-way street, with dough rolling into their pockets and power unbelievable. ! But, contrary to what most working men are’ led to believe, there is a limit tothe amount of’ wages they can obtain and deserve—and this’ not measured by the employers’ profits, either. Whenever a commodity gets so high in price that neither the laborer who is employed in its’ manufacture, nor his next door neighbor can afford to buy it, then that laborer is earning too high wages. If he has not the sense to de-’ mand less wages, and the thought tank at the’ head of his union doesn’t demand less, the’ worker—too lazy to think for himself-—will find himself without any wages; out of a job. Industry cannot support wages when the products it manufacturers cannot be bought by, the masses. So that is the beginning of a depression when men prefer to lean on shovels for; half a wage from the Government, than to be: sensible while they still have a job. ! Currently these same unthinking laborers are spending one and a half work-days’ wages out of every five work days, for taxes alone—:

which puts neither food on the table, roof over: *

head, not clothes on the back. 3 Yet not a single union boss or racketeer has: uttered a cry on behalf of his millions, that taxes must be reduced. : 3 In my humble opinion, it is long past. time for every working man to 5 still for about an" hour a week and think out Nis own little prob-: lem without help from anyone else. That's a’ really constructive step. : 3 The ideas of 150 million people combined, can't be wrong. 0%

Some Thoughts on Gambling By L. V. Warren, R. R. 4, City ; Despite what one reader who took issue with me in The Hoosier Forum on the matter of gambling believes, I still am convinced that Wall Street speculating with people's money, brokerage houses, etc., is “gambling” no matter how he wishes to consider it. And too, I have heard and known of companies who “went to the wall” because of stock market fluctuations the owners of which in some cases jumped out office windows and killed themselves. No matter whether it's done in country clubs or bookie joints, it's gambling, So to him I say ‘pray, do come out of the woods.” Many readers doubtless noticed the news item dwelling on the fact that two “sharpster gamblers” had gone to an Indianapolis country Sub and “rooked” the club member gamblers there. The two sharpsters were arrested, but did you notice this fact readers, that the club member gamblers were not arrested? In other words, it's perfectly all right for Mr. Rich-ditch to* gamble at his private clubs but this is not for you Mr. Two-Bit gambler, t but no. : Another news item of interest: A North Side attorney was arrésted and placed in jail, just think of it, and a local judge criticized the police for putting this man in jail Do you wonder that I said a word in defense of the poor man who wishes to play a pool or gamble two bucks on the bang-tails. I think not. ® % ¢

Raps Old-Age Pension Law By Frank Walton, Campbellsburg, Ind. Class legislation is robbing Peter to pay Paul. l You are eligible for an old-age pension at 65; if you spend your money in a saloon or 8 beer-garden and haven't got anything laid-up for old age you draw an Old-age pension. But if you have laid up for old age and you're too old to work at 65 and you live to be 90 you have to pay old-age pensions for 25 years. They will pay .it if they have to sell your home that you have for old age 25 years after you are too old to work. Class legislation is not permissible in the United” States under the Constitution of the United States. * The old age pension law is not constitutional, not any more than any other class legislation.

Centennial: Simple Obelisk Symbolizes Liberty Established By One of Greatest

Americans

place at 550 feet and the monumerit was ded" cated. An oration written by the venerable Robert C. Winthrop, who had been Speaker of the House in 1848, was read. . . “The storms of winter,” Speaker Winthrop had written, “must blow upon it. The action of the elements must soil and discolor it. AR earthquake make shake its foundation. Some mighty tornado or resistiess cyclone may rend its massive blocks asunder and hurl huge fragments to the ground. “But the character, which it commemorates and illustrates, is secure. It will feupin unchanged and unchangeable in all its Consum* mate purity and splendor, and will more and more command the homage of succeeding in all regions of the earth.”

Guard Against Complacency

THAT brings us down to our time. Rep. Christian Herter of Massachusetts likes to tell about the incident that occurred when he Was with an UNRRA mission in. Yugoslavia in 1946 He was traveling in a jeep with the wife a the minister of war. She was a fiery Commun who tall.ed at length about the glories of the new Yugoslavia. When Rep. Herter had been silent 2 long time, she suddenly said, “Don’t you love your country?” . The startled’ Rep. Herter replied that he did love it very much. J 4 “Then’why don’t you talk about it? she demanded. 2 Most of us take for granted what we have with a complacency that is often downright sm ess, o at soaring shaft should be a reminder a day when men struggled and fought and for the freedoms we enjoy.

/

Munition Spend $ By JIM Scripps-Howa WASHINGT gam’s stockpi slighted for. th No. 1 priority. In the next 1 pitions Board ¥ much for stra material spent since the already are und In addition: ONE: The | has signed agri and Ireland—a may be regard those to be = Marshall Plan « —giving the Ur to strategic ma Editor F TWO: The E tion Administra office of str headed by Eva the Engineeri Journal. THREE: Attc Clark has rule Department's « co-operation cz tary allocation: of a part of | terials producec country. The Italian a few hours b of ‘Mr. Just, b to “facilitate materials prod are required by as a result of tential deficienc sources.” Increase Italy contrac creased produc materials withi and to “remov to the transfer to the United 8 Among othe agreed to set strategic mater nish for our a “fair share” in advance ho increase produc advance that centage of ‘tha to us “in consi

There skin, [ _ ate # you s tiness blue