The Helena independent., 1894-05-27

/ operate Win tho people Win Whou thel
are dealing; II involves, in short, thai
genuine good win on which dcmocrac,
is founded. and without which no lutol
ligent man ought TO expect to see de
moeracy maintained.
fear that some Of the good people
who have followed me up to this point
will DO inclined to stop here and turr
back. Fos any such selt-abnegation Hl
this they arc not ready. Reasona moi
uneonneeted With bad grammar and
worse odors, have alroady suggested
themselves, Such heroes US these will
never, dhro predict, give US good mu.
nicipnl government. And IL is the pres
euoc among our good people" OF great
deal OF this kind OF heroism which has
given us this type Of municipal govern
mont which We ARE now enjoying. In
truth, IL may or will DO understood, that
the governing OF such cities as We are
hurling together and hoaping up oa this
continent ia not a nioo and easy job, IL
takes work, aud a great deal OF Il; IL
takes time, patience, courage, perseyer'
anoe have not said that these people
can have good government without
laror aud self-denial; do not know Of
any good thing that can be honestly
gotten without paying this price for ii.
Here and there some courageous ex-
perimenier is ready to testify that there
10 very little sense in this counsel. lie
knows, because he has tried il. lie has
venlured out some dark night to Ottcpd
tho PRIMARIES and found the business
all done before he arrived done by per
sons whom he will viyidly describe 10
YOU. Possibly he has gone SO far as 10
secure an election 10 he school board
or the city council; and, after fighting
with wild beasls for few months, has
permanently withdrawn from municipal
politics. He tells nil who listen to his
tale that the business 10 hopeless; that
we are In the hands OF tho Philstlnes
and cannot help ourselves
II is true that al occasional irruption
Of this sort into the camp OF the enemy
counts for very little Let no indiyid-
ual be dissuaded from undertaking il;
for it is only by the multiplication OF
such experiments that we shall gather
our fCrces; nevertheless 1t is true that
what good government calls for is not
the advent OF here aud there respect
able man in city politics but the enlist
ment OF the whole body Of the intelli-
gent and reputable citizens. Then good
people mustgo into city politics, they
must oil 90 in, and they must 90 in TO
stny. No occasional spout OF civic pa
triotlsm, like that which rescued New
York from the Tweed ring aud Phila-
delphia from its gang and that which
has just delivered Brooklyn, will serve
the purpose; the campaign is precisely
as continuous as the struggle with sell
fishness in the human heart. This is
the calling wherewith they are called.
This is the sovereignty to which they
nre ordained. II intelligence and expe-
rience have any place in democracy
they are here to lead. What else, in
heavens name, can they be here for?
And when those elements TO which lead
ership belongs abdicate their function
why should we expect to escape from
pnndemonium?
Our good people, then, must 60 into
politics, They must frequent Irimaries,
as long as the present party organiza-
tions are maintained, not here and there
n shame-iaced intruder, but In platoons.
They must meet the men where they
find them, as one man meets another,
10 frank and friendly conference about
the things TO be dore. They must not
be too nice to talk with the people who
smoke vile cigars and talk bad grammar.
Citizenship in this free and independent
republic means something, and they
must find out what il means. They
must be ready TO take office when il is
offered them-any Office, no matter how
humbe-which they are qualified to fill.
They must ba ready, the busiest and the
brainlest OF them, TO take positions on
the school board and in the city coun-
Gil, and to give days and nights OF per-
picking care and unrewarded labor to
the service OF the city. These good
people are not exempt from such service
rs this. Too busyY A man might as
well say that he is too busy TO furnish
food for his children or to attend his
mothers funeral This is one Of the
primal, sacred, innliennble obligations.
No man who has any just sense OF what
citizenship IN republic means will ask
to DO relieved OF it, The man who has
the ability to render intelligent and ei-
licieut service to his fellow citizens as a
member OF the city council, and who re-
fuses such service ou the ground that
his business cares do not allow il, is
guilty Of bad kind Of treachery. lie
has no right to have business cares
which interfere With his highest duties
There can be no business which has a
higher claim on him than the business
Of the city in which he lives
In other lands the best citizens recog-
nize their personal obligation, Go into
the city councils in European cities and
you find there the ablesi, the best edu-
Gated. the most distinguished men.
Lord Rosebery, the present prime min
ster Of England, was tho first chairman
OF the London city council; / believe
that, with all the weighty cnres Of the
empire upon him. he still keeps his seat
there Sir John Lubbock was hia sue
cessuE The strongest men in London
rra la a. NJ .opr,U Tl,.t A., ,,.I.. M