Walnut Bureau – August 8, 1918
ORDER TO BE ENFORCED
One of the town officials received a letter from Gov. Harding’s office, the first of the week, instructing him to enforce the order to “cut out” the use of foreign languages on the streets, in club rooms and all public places, and if necessary to carry out these orders he might use any means he deems proper, as the order must be complied with by all.
Walnut seems to be the banner town for defying this order. Other than the English language can be heard on our streets, in homes, club rooms and certain places of business almost any day of the week, including Sundays. Now, this state of affairs is all wrong and should be remedied, if not by kindness, then by force. We do not believe that all our people who disobey this order are necessarily disloyal, but it is a safe guess to say that a vast majority of them are. With some it has become a habit, and bad habits are usually hard to break off. This one is not only bad, but is unpatriotic, and in time will brand the users as traitors to this country. When the Beast of Berlin is licked to a frizzle and our boys come home from France, there will be a new use for padlocks. Those that have not broken off the foreign language habit will need to wear one of those new locks on his face, safety first, and you won’t need one.
Only one language is needed for his country, and that language will be United States exclusively. If America is good enough for the foreign element to live in, raise and educate their children in, buy and own farms and homes in, to enjoy all the privileges of a free country, and at all times to be assured of the protection of our Uncle Sam in everything that is right, then our language should certainly be good enough for them to use exclusively. If anyone thinks it is not, then this is an opportune time to take a hike. Don’t wait for an escort.