The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-06-09
ne glect the personal performance

neglect the personal performance
of his individual political duty.
Let no man feel that he can absent
himself from caucus and cOnVen-
ton, aud then, when bad men have
hois ted their tools upon his politi-
cal party, cast his individual respon-
sibility upon that party and blindly
follow its leaders and support its
candidates. Let mo man feel that
he can stay away from the polls
and be guiltless If bad men wFiggle
their way into power and trust.
If there be truth in the charge,
so freely made, that partisan moral
itY is low in both the great organi-
cations of our day, then the fault is
yours and mine. Ours is the shame,
for ours has been and is the power
to cure such wrong. If lingering
paralysis still deadens our indus
tries and checks our surviving trade
and commerce, then with US, the
people, rests large share of blame,
for we have not insisted that In ma
tional affairs the same laws of com.
mon honesty should prevail that
rule in our daily dealings between
man and man.
If our methods of the public CIV
IL service still continue to be helps
to partisan control rather than
means for the prompt, economical
and efficient performance of public
duty, it is simply and mainly be-
cause we, the people, have either
deliberately preferred that this
should be SO, or have indolently
neglected practical efforts toward
establishing the civil service upon
the ordinary business principles and
usages of the factory and the count
| ing room. Whenever we, the peo-
pie, pledge our candidates for Con-
gress and the Senate to neither ask
nor recommend appointments, and
whenever we, the people, ourselves
cease to torment our representatives
and senators to secure positions for
Us, they will naturally abandon any
anxious attempts to control official
patronage. But SO long as we, the
people, insist upon being rewarded
by political place for our political
service, fear that we shall not
change the system Whice we oursel-
yes practically insist upon perpetua-
ting. Trees usually grow from the
roots mp; and not from the top
downward.
Any failure to have good gov
eminent under our system is as
much our fault as that Of our rul-
ers. Nay, it is mainly our fault.
For with us lies the final power.
When we deliberately resolve, they
must either execute our purpose or
give place TO such as will.
This Is the lesson l would press
home this day upon each brain and
conference.-the personal perfor-
nance by each citizen of his indi-
vidual duty to the state.
We stand in the Centennial time
of the republic. The good deeds
the brave deeds of many true men
have made this year possible
Broad and full harvest fields lie be.
fore US. Are we wise enough, faith.
full enough, unselfish enough to
cross the river and enter the prom.
ised land2
To US, TO all, these dead speak q:
living man may not. Let US heed
their teaching. Let US here and
now, as at affairs of sacrifice, dedi.
cate ourselves anew to the duties Of
our citizenship. Thus shall we
turn back to our daily living, better
more hopeful, more resolute, be.
cause we have been here to scatter
these flowers upon the graves where
our comrades sleep.