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Show ( AMOUI L.UiE What a great old world this would be if all the expressed sentiments of of humanity were real, genuine sure-enough sure-enough what they profess to be. But Satan originated nhe art of deception back there in the infancy of the race, and he and his nrinions have industriously indus-triously perpetuated it. His amazing success is due to his ability to, as the small would put it "appear what it ain't." We now call it camouflage. Of all the various brands of human counterfeit, the demagogue camouflaged camou-flaged as a patriot is the most contemptible. con-temptible. Patriotism is a fine thing, a sacred thing, but a counterfeit patriotism pa-triotism is unspeakably disgusting. Yet we see it all about us. It mistakes mis-takes noise for action and words for sentiment. Its omniscience is equal to solving the most knotty problems of the war. Its self-sacrifice is capable ca-pable of any devotion if the salary is sufficient. Its renunciation is beau tiful until it is discovered that there is nothing to renounce. Its devotion to duty is sublime until it is known that the person stands to gain much and lose not at all. Every worthy cause of the human race is cursed with these flagrant imitation men and women. They ride ' every attempted reform to a disastrous disastr-ous fall if it is. in their power. Reforms Re-forms now in their infancy would be! ancient history were it not for their ! baneful influence. In the old American game of poker 1 there is one practice known as bluf fing which returns good results if successfully put over. There is, how- ' ever, a counter practice of "calling ' the bluff that sometimes gives ' amazing returns. . I When you meet with one of these blatant patriots who only wants an opportunity to end the war, "call his hand." |