THE MEANING OF AMERICANISM
By Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes (1862- ) has had a conspicuous political career. He has been successively governor of New York for two terms, a justice of the Supreme Court; Republican nominee for the Presidency; and Secretary of State.
At the time of the delivery of this speech Europe was in the throes of the World War. America was soon to join forces with the Allies against Germany. This extract from Mr. Hughes's speech should be read with the spirit of portending war in mind. But the four-square interpretation of Americanism that is herein set forth holds to-day with as much force as in 1916. Read the selection especially to get the notion of an ideal America and the ideal citizen.
We want something more than thrills in our patriotism—we
want thought; we want intelligence—a
new birth of the sentiment of unity in the nation.
My dream of America is America represented in public
office by its best men working entirely for the good of the 5
Republic and according to the laws and ordinances established
by the people for the government of their conduct,
and not for personal or political desires and ambitions;
America working her institutions as they were intended to
be worked, with men whose sole object shall be to secure 10
the end for which the offices were designed.
And if one will throw his personal fortunes to the winds,
if he will perform in each place, high or low, the manifest
obligations of that place, we will soon have those victories
of democracy which will make the Fourth of July in its 15
coming years a far finer and nobler day than it has ever
been in the fortunate years of the past.
When we are thinking of the ideals of democracy, we
are thinking of the schools, and we deplore every condition
in which we find man lower than he should be under a free
government, and we want greater victories of democracy,
that the level of success shall be raised. 5
We are not a rash people; we are not filled with the
spirit of militarism. We are not anxious to get into trouble,
but if anybody thinks that the spirit of service and sacrifice
is lost and that we have not the old sentiment of self-respect,
he doesn't understand the United States. 10