WHEN THE BOYS COME HOME
Mighty powers are at work in the world today. Mighty changes are taking
place within the depths of our natures. We are not satisfied with the
old order of things that have trailed along with our _opulent years_.
The great holocaust of war has sobered our senses and we find ourselves
taking stock of the past with particular reference to the future--the
near future we hope.
We are thinking of the day when the boys will _come back home_ and
we have it in mind to tidy up considerably by the time they begin to
arrive. We believe they will approve of our work, and unless they do we
may as well look the situation squarely in the face--they’ll do some
cleaning up on their own account. _They’ll finish the job._
The order of the day is _change_. There are old, worn-out labels that
must give place to new ones, particularly one which has outlived its
usefulness, entitled--_the inherent rights of man_. It needs revising.
Its by-laws must be revamped, recast along modern lines in order
that _liberty_ shall not be mistaken for _license_ nor any man claim
immunity on the assumption that because this is a free country _he may
do as he may please_.
When the boys come home they are going to ask for an accounting. They
will want to take more than just a peep at our stewardship. Where are
the _loafers_ hanging out? They’ll ask us that. And they’ll ask about
the dives and dens and _thief-making sports_ that boldly flaunted
themselves in the days before _the great change_.
A lot of the boys won’t come home. They’ll be asleep, over there, but
the big majority will return and they will be men of brawn--_resolute
and brave_. They will begin at once to ask questions that will make
some of us wince, and they are going to insist upon truthful answers.
“_What about the profiteers?_” They’re going to insist on knowing
all about these fellows. They will seek them out and compel them to
disgorge their ill-gotten gains--profits taken from the families
of these men who crossed the seas to rid the world of _just such a
piratical crew_.
And what about _booze_--have we given that traffic the final punch? If
it wasn’t good for soldiers to _fight on_ how could it be useful in
_civil life_? These are questions we’ve got to answer when the boys
come home and it looks as though we were going to be able to give a
good account of ourselves--_thanks to the government_.
Things are changing--many things have already changed. The big crucial
tests upon our national conscience are coming to a head. Our government
is _far-seeing_ and alert. Abuses still exist, but the eyes of able men
are upon them. A government that is capable of sending millions of men
under prime conditions to foreign lands in behalf of our _most precious
rights_ need not be expected to fall down on the task of cleaning
things up at home while they are away. The whole world is to be made
safe and clean, _including the U. S. A._
[Illustration]