The Philipsburg mail., 1895-12-12
WORDS TO REMEMBER.
Privilege and Responsibility as Applied
to Citizenship.

IilF14eSe duG RESPONSIBILITY us Applied
to Citizenship.
The central feature Of our national
life is liberty, regulated by law Lib
erty and law are complementary disks
of the full sphere. American patriot
ism is the love Of America as the land
Of liberty, and the home of the brave
men and women who consecrated the
country to freedom, not only by deeds
of daring, but much more by the de-
velopment here Of those forces that tend
to conserve and perpetuate freedom,
the home, the church, the school, a
free press, the written constitution,
trial by jury, all independent judici-
ary,-and by retaining the sovereign
power in the people, and giving to
them the inalienable right of free
suffrage. Love Of liberty is the life,
the soul that embodies and perpetuates
itself in Institutions
Patriotism, to be fruitful, must be
intelligent: it must comprehend the
content Of love of country, must know
the full significance Of the words priv
ilege' and responsibility as applied
to citizenship. How shall one love lib
erty, who does not understand the
meaning Of the word? How shall he
become enthusiastic Over the free
purpose and their work? Why should
|, NO xxyi17i,,r +o
knows nothing Of it's history or it's
the ballot box with his life, who docs
not comprehend its sacredness?
In a republic, especially, the common
action of the individuals who make ND
the community particularly upon the
voters, who are the sovereigns who
hold it's destiny in their hands If
the masses are selfish, vicious, or simply
indifferent to the public welfare, it
must necessarily suffer; but if the peo-
pie are patriotic, and use their vast
powers to promote the highest good of
the state, the republic will prosper.
Liberty, to endure, must be enshrined
in the hearts Of the people,
Patriotism bears it's most abundant
harvest, not when it animates few
great souls, but when it is widely
diffused among the masses of the peo-
pie; not when it is conned to the sen
ate chamber and the battlefield, but
when it pervades the family, the
church, and the school, like all atmos-
phere, carrying health. vigor, and hap
piness to all, and stimulating all to
good work. A flag should float from
every schoolhouse, and the doctrines,
not tho can't, Of patriotism, should
everywhere be the language Of the
people.
Patriotism, although a national i'm
pulse, needs to be cultivated: un-
trained, it may be but a sickly plant Or
worse, noxious weed; cultivated, it
becomes a luxuriant and fruitful vine.
The work Of training this virtue should
begin in childhood the American pub
lie school should be the nursery of
American patriotism. The vast out
lay by the states Of money for the
scohols, -aggregating about one hum
dred and fifty millions of dollars an
nually,-ca be defended only on the
ground Of it's public necessity and
utility, it's promotion of the public
veal Patriotism is the source of pub
lie good, and hence should be the
prime object of the public school train
ing.
At no period in our national history
has there been a more urgent need Of
practical training in patriotism than
at present. The tide Of patriotic fervor
that carried us triu1nphantly through
the costly struggle for the preservation
Of the Union has spent it's force;
new generation has appeared upon
the stage Of action; millions Of for
eigners have come to make their homes
with us, who know little Or nothing
about our institutions, and whose
natural patriotism inclines their hearts
to the old country even their children
own divided allegiance until taught
to love America. To train these mil
lions Of new citizens to appreciate the
meaning of patriotism is a duty and a
privilege Eternal vigilance is the
price Of liberty. I. J. M.
A fellow lately started store in
Kansas. The following was the sign
he hung out: Dry goods, by John
Smith, who wishes to get married. +"
The sign drew all kinds of custom.
The single ladies went, of course, and
the married men told their wives to go
under the impression that they could
easily cheat SO great a simpleton.
A schoolmaster, on inquiring Of a
pupil how many lines of a
rather extensive holiday imposition
4 I