True Americanism 33 



because the economists of that country have found 

 that it was suited to their own peculiar needs. In 

 attempting to solve our difficult problem of munici- 

 pal government it is mere folly to refuse to profit 

 by whatever is good in the examples of Manchester 

 and Berlin because these cities are foreign, exactly 

 as it is mere folly blindly to copy their examples 

 without reference to our own totally different condi- 

 tions. As for the absurdity of declaiming against 

 civil-service reform, for instance, as "Chinese," be- 

 cause written examinations have been used in China, 

 it would be quite as wise to declaim against gun- 

 powder because it was first utilized by the same 

 people. In short, the man who, whether from mere 

 dull fatuity or from an active interest in misgovern- 

 ment, tries to appeal to American prejudice against 

 things foreign, so as to induce Americans to oppose 

 any measure for good, should be looked on by his 

 fellow-countrymen with the heartiest contempt. So 

 much for the men who appeal to the spirit of Amer- 

 icanism to sustain us in wrong-doing. But we must 

 never let our contempt for these men blind us to the 

 nobility of the idea which they strive to degrade. 

 We Americans have many grave problems to 

 solve, many threatening evils to fight, and many 

 deeds to do, if, as we hope and believe, we have 

 the wisdom, the strength, the courage, and the vir- 

 tue to do them. But we must face facts as they are. 

 We must neither surrender ourselves to a foolish op- 

 timism, nor succumb to a timid and ignoble pes- 

 simism. Our nation is that one among all the na- 



