The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-26
RIGHTS AND DUTIES.
The Importance of Using Ones Privileges
to the Best Good of Society.

The Importance of Using Ones Privileges
to the Best Good of Society.
The truth that every new right
secured involves new obligations and
new duties needs much more emphasis
than it at present receives. The desire
to gain rights is strong enough and
sufficiently manifested, but the desire
to fulfill worthily the trusts they i'm
pose is comparatively weak. A man
chained hand and foot is certainly de-
prived of the right of free motion, and
Justly demands release. But directly
he is set free multitude of duties and
obligations spring up. Where shall he
direct his stepsP How shall he use his
hands? What good thing is he to bring
out of his liberty that was impossible
before? If ne uses his newly-found
power only to abuse and maltreat his
fellowmen, it may well be doubted
whether, after all, his former state of
restraint were not preferable. So with
all other rights-free thought, free
speech, free press. free labor-they are
blessings in proportion as they are
exercised for good; when they are used
in the interests of selfishness and greed,
or to destroy the rights of others, or
to break down law and order, they
cease to be benefactions, and if car
ried in such directions beyond certain
limits society justly retracts the
boon. Rights used in the cause
of wrong certainly forfeit their
claim to recognition, and render their
very name an absurdity. 1t is time
that more emphasis were laid upon
moral obligation, both as between man
and his fellow-man and between the
man and the community. Too many
people are developing a keen insight
into what they suppose others owe
them, while maintaining a dizziness OF
perception truly alarming as to what
they owe to others Clamoring loudly
for their own rights, they forget how
many rightful claims of others they are
constantly withholding. lis, of course,
only the few extremely pronounced
cases of this injustice with which the
law can deal. By far the larger pro-
portion are beyond the reach of law
courts. The father of a family, claim
ing the right to order his own household,
robs his children of the most sacred
rights, and through avarice, or selfish
ness, or i'll -humor, wrecks their happi-
ness and prospects. Or an avaricious
manufacturer, who claims the right to
manage his own business without inter-
ference, so manages it that his work
men must labor at starvation wages.
and his customers must pay full price
for an adulterated article. Or the
laborer eagerly claims his right to
labor at pleasure, and to cease when
he will, yet utterly disregards the same
right Of his fellow-laborer, and compels
him, by threat and penalty, to abstain
from working at his command. Thus,
in the name OF lib erty, many al act OF
tyranny fiourishes; in the name Of free
dom, many a feeble one becomes en-
shaved; in the name of human
rights, many man and woman
is cruelty wronged; in the name
of free speech, many fair reputation
is ruined, many falsehoods dissent
mated, many errors taught. What is
needed among us more than the insist
ence Of rights is the enforcement of
duty. 1t should be impressed upon the
minds and hearts Of all that right is
not something merely to secure, to re-
ioice in, and to use at pleasure, but
that it is a solemn trust to hold, an OBJ
legation to fulfill, power to WELD, a
responsibility for which each who pos
sesses it is accountable. The question
so often asked: cam | receiving all
the rights to which | am entitled?"
should be coupled with the more i'm
portant and searching one: "Am l
using all the rights with which l am
invested for the best good of society?
Am | giving to others all the rights
which belong to them, as far as my
power extends?" 1t is this attitude of
mind which gives breath and dignity to
life, and raises Justice and generosity
to their rightful places in society. Only
as men live for something higher and
nober than self can they attain their
true value, and only as this is done
habtually by individuals can we hope
to see an elevated and prosperous com
munity. A movement in this direction
is being made by the formation of So
cieties, whose object is said to be 1.-THE