Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1915 — AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.

It Is One of the Greatest Conferred in Modern Times. Roman citizenship was a privilege, conferred upon non-Romans as a distinction and reward, carrying with it rights, such as that of appeal to Caesar, which Paul of Tarsus invoked. And as the world became Romanized citizenship spread. It was conferred first on the Latins outside the city, when they had become loyal to the city; then upon cities in Italy and later outside Italy, which were allies and true friends of Rome; afterward upon all Italians, when all Italy was grown thoroughly Roman; and finally upon the whole world within the empire, when the world had been entirely Romanized. American citizenship is the mod-

ern privilege. It admits a man into a vast brotherhood of equals, endows him with civil and political rights that make him a factor in a great self-governing state whose ideals is humane treatment and individual welfare. As a citizen of Rome was a peculiar person, possessed of what no alien noble could equal, so is a citizen of the United States peculiar in a spiritual sense, inasmuch as his citizenship dedicates him to serve in a higher scheme, to join in a better project than is to be seen anywhere a Ise upon earth. There are rights and privileges which are attributes of American citizenship; but there are also duties and obligations of an exalted character. The former are obvious, but the latter should be seriously realized by us all. And those who are born her<>, nite as much as those who have voyaged hither, need new instruction in the significance of American citizenship and a reconseeration to its service.

For, as we construe it. American citizenship vows the citizen to patriotism, but to patriotism that is more catholic, more generous, more noble and fine than is patriotism as otherwise conceived. American patriotism has a richer and higher content than have the patriotisms of Europe. And this truth should be realized. ’

The American citizen is a soldier not merely of the United States, glorious as is the function of that. He is also a soldier for humanity, enlisted for life in “the Avar of liberation for mankind.” He is a knight of freedom, a crusader for equality, a paladin of justice. He has a social mission, as well as a defensive duty. “That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” said Abraham Lincoln. That it shall not is our principle, our cause, our obligation, our enthusiasm, for Which we live and all are ready to die. The appeal of that proposition is to all of us equally, to him who is born here, to him who comes here. It is the unifying cause, it exceeds any European patriotism, any call of blood, any sympathy of creed. Or if it does not, then Americanism is a failure and our citizenship is a convenience, a mere economic opportunity. But Americanism is not a failure. It triumphs, it waxes from generation to generation. It excites a passionate devotion, an enduring, widening, wonderful loyalty.—Minneapolis Journal.

The United States Steel Corporation has obtained from the American Locomotive Company an order for 9,400 tons of steel bars to bte used in the manufacture of shrapnel. The locomotive company’s order for 17,000 tons of material for high explosive shells is . also expected to go to the Steel corporation. The order is in excess of $5,000,000. Closely related to yeast, fungi discovered in breweries by a Japanese scientist have been found to dye silk a beautiful rose color, but to be harmless when used in the manu-l faeture of beer.