Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1917 — DUTIES VERSUS PRIVILEGES [ARTICLE]

DUTIES VERSUS PRIVILEGES

When the present conflict burst upon the world, humanity—democratic humanity—was asleep. .it was, .a sleep that had lasted einCe Washington and his- ragamuffin army had first “made the world safe for democracy.” His work had been done. and well-done, and Americans had for more than a century been living • under the delusion that there was nothing more to do in the cause of human freedom. > _ From the establishment of this republic, orators ant'd writers have never tired of ringing the changes on the glorious privileges of American citizenship. They are instilled into -us from the kindergarten to the college. 1 They are the daily pabulum upon which pur Americanism is nourished.

The world cataclysm found us making a fetish of our “rights” and “privileges.” We' were extremely jealous of them, and resented any infringement of them with the fierceness of a brooding hen. We were proud of them, and flaunted them in the face of our less fortunate neighbors across the water. But one thing we had forgotten, namely, that SOMEONE had paid a price for these priceless blessings of liberty; somebody had purchased them, ahd we were not that somebody or somebodies. They had been purchased by BLOOD, but as WE had not.shed that blood, we had never fully appreciated the value of the purchase. - And we are only just beginning to grasp the fact that our revolutionary sires, when they marched through blood to the goal of their inspiration, bequeathed to us, their descendants, not only the glorious blessing of liberty, but by the sid> of it and hand and hand with it, THE DUTY OF PRESERVING IT IN ITS PURITY AS RECEIVED. That duty has never been lifted from our shoulders, and never will be, unless we shall so far fall shortas to cease to value the fruits of the sacrifices so cheerfully made by those old heroes of the long ago. This duty is looming larger and larger, clearer and clearer, as the days go by. We are beginning to recognize the eternal truth that if ALL would enjoy, ALL must serve. You and I—should either be favored at the expense of the other? your boy and my boy—-have not both been the recipients of the same' protection and fostering care, and shall my son refuse to make the sacrifice while your son bares his breast to the storm? There is a theory that gold that most precious of metals, was at one time deep hidden in the center of this globe, but that the violent internal convulsions to which the old ball has been subjected have thrown it to the surface. If the present social convulsion shall be the means of bringing to the surface of human Character the pure gold of sacrifice and an appreciation of the. duty' of the individual to society, great good will come of the trials we are called upon to endure.