The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-23
THINGS WHICH ARE CAESARS.


THINGS WHICH ARE CAESARS.
Prof. Edmund j. James Talks on Good
Government at Roberts Park.
At Roberts Park M. f. Church, yester-
day morning. Prof. Edmund J. James, of
the University of Chicago, delivered an adj
dress on THE Duty of the Christian to the
State" He delivered the same address last
night at College-avenue Baptist Church.
Large-sized audiences listened to him at
both places. Taking for text. Render unto
Caesar those things which are Caesars
he said, i'm part:
tual facts of our society as If we are suf-
fering from a lack of appreciation on the
part OF our citizens OF their duties 10 the
pubic. Our city governments are certain
ly, to put 1t in a mild form, not all that
could be desired in the way of efficiency
and honesty. Some of our State govern
ments are not much better. How is it that
in free country, in a democratic commu-
nifty in which everybody is supposed to be
interested in public affairs. and in which
the government is supposed to represent
the will of the people, and in which 1T can
WiIl ~ De have had eovernm me Instead of
goOd-hOw is 1t, | say, that the record OF
civil government in the United States for
the last thirty years has been so unsatis-
factory in many respects? 1t can only be
explained on the hypothesis that the citi-
zen is either ignorant of what ought to be
Ignorance, of course, Is one OF the great
causes of inefficiency In all ages and in all
countries: at the same time we can hardly
suppose that there is not enough lntelil-
gence and knowledge about governmental
affairs in our communities to make 1t pos
sible for us to have good government and
efficient government. If we would only Sc
lect the men who are best qualified to par
ticipate in this. The difficulty. therefore,
resolves itself finally into the question, why
do we not choose better men to represent
I'm the various legislative assemblies
from the city to the Nation? The only eX-
PLANTATION of this fact Is that our citizens
have been so occupied with the develop
nent Of the material resources OF our
country that they have practically neg
lected the government and allowed Ii TO
fall into the hands of the less worthy ele-
ments in the community
There can be no doubt that the citizen,
as SUCH particularly In a democratic COM
munity has laid upon him the moral and
religious obligation of taking part and tax
ing an active part, in the selection oil oih-
Gals and in the development and deter
mnation of public sentiment along right
lines. No man has a right TO accept the
also Wiling to accept it's obligations. The
duty of the citizen TO die in behalf OF his
country is. of course. generally acknowl-
our own history and that of many other
countries by the devoted sacrifice OF count
less soldiers upon the battlefield of the
the service of the State has not been so
generally recognized. Eternal vigilance is
expect to have good government, TO have
efficient government. unless its citizens
will do their share i'm season ard out. of
season to raise and elevate the standard of
public duty. and will themselves on no oc-
casion shirk the political duty which
comes to them. This duty to the State is
not by any means exhausted by the per.
Torrance of ones duty as a voter. for
women owe such duty as well as men
even though they are not allowed to vote.
Everything that we have, everything thai
we are everything that we hope to be we
owe In one sense to the 'labOrs and strug-
giles of men and women who have pre-
ceded us. The only way in which we can
pay this debt is by performing the same
service for those who come after us. No
man or woman is doing his duty in a free
State who is not carrying upon his mind
and heart the common concerns of the
community. as well as looking after his
of charity his individual fellow-man.
More and more of our people are coming;
to live in cities 1T viii i not be long unti
urban conditions. And what those condi-
tons shall be- whether they are conditions
which tell for progress or tell for deterior-
the way i'm which the men and women OF
to-day conceive their duties toward the
community and the way in which having
recognized those duties, they perform them:
Every citizen should be asking himself
What can / do to help make the community
i'm which live wiser and better and more
growing child shall have the best oppor~
tunitieS for the development OF all that Is
within HMM making Ii community in
which the public institutions are doing eV-
erything that may reasonably and fairly
be expected of them? To the Jewish writ
crs who have given US the Holy Scriptures
the ideal of a community was ever con-
tanned in the notion of a city. IT is q
city which Gcd has prepared for us in the
heavens. The new Jerusalem let down OF;
Cf the heavens was city. All their hopes
and all their aspirations are toward the
city of God So in our modern times the
city has begun TO become the typical ana
most important element of our society.
What our cities are TO be must determine
what our population will be. We, as inds
vidual citizens. have a responsibility for
seeing that the men who are at the head
Of our city governments are men to whom
we can point our children as examples are
men who carry into the public service the
same conscientiousness and care and devo
ton which we expect or men in private
trusts. 1t is only i'm the city mat the con-
ditions OF a perfect social life may be
obtained and 1t shall be our duty. there
fore. in every direction to labor to bring
about this end. Having secured the king
dom of God in our hearts. we should set
about securing il in the external conditions.
surrounding us. in the very cleanliness of
the streets. in the excellence of the schools.
| in the perfection of sanitary conditions a;lC,
arrangements, in the efforts TO Introduce
| everything which is refining and elevating
in attempt to bring the social classes
| together TO bridge the gulf between the
| rich and the poor. between the employer
| and employe. to make. in a word. out OF
| our city communities ideal communities
make our earthly cities as nearly as posi-
BILE a counterpart of the heavenly city