The record-union., 1896-01-25
ORGANIZED FOR BUSINESS.
The Young Hens Club Of CiYiCS Elects
Officers.
Large Accession to It's Membership
An Excellent Paper on Pub
lie Opinion"

nlleQ to It's utmost capacity.
Mr.. Carmichael was called to the
chair. The question of an evening for
meeting coming up, it was resolved that
Thursday evenings be the regular meet
ing night once in two weeks. beginning
February 9th. The hour Of meeting was
fixed at 80 o'clock and the limit of
meetings at two hours each.
The Committee on a Code of Rules
reported by C. H. Dunn code which
was debated and adopted The COM
mittee recommended that at the next
meeting a paper or selection be read
on municipal government to constitute
the text or subject for the first series of
questions for consideration by the club.
The committee recommended a change
of the name of the club to read Young
Mems Club of Civics," which was
adopted.
The election was then gone into for
officers for the first six months with the
following result: President, H. Vein
stock; Vice-PresideTt, D. W. Car
michael; Secretary, Julian Arnold;
Treasurer, r. ID. Finnie.
The committee recommended that the
club have one general paper on NUM-
cipaI Government" at the next meet
ing, on February 9th, and then if the
club so decided, it could form itself into
a Board of Freeholders, as suggested
by Mr. Weinstock.
1t was decided that the club request
the President, Mr. Weinstock. to pre-
pare such a general paper and read it
before the meeting.
Twenty-three new names were added
to the roll of membership, making sixty
in ALL
Rev. H. n. Hoyt read a paper on ''The
Relation of the Young Men to Good
Government" The paper was as fol-
lows:
The Government of the United States
is by public opinion. Good government
must be by a right and righteous pub
lie opinion. The relation of the young
nen to good government must be min
istered largely through public opinion,
for the great mass of young men this
must be the exclusive relation. As
man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
As men think among themselves, so is
the Government.
In European countries the Govern
ment is the State In the United States
the Government is the servant of the
State Not only do we change our pub
lie officers frequently, but during their
terms of service they are highly sensi-
tive to the will of the people.
It has been said that every country
has as good a government as it de-
serves. This may not always be true
Old abuse and ancient tyranny may
be so intrenched in power and custom
that these may keep their place long
after the people are ready for and wor-
thy of a better order. But here, where
the will of the many is autocrat, the
Government is not only what we de-
serve but what we choose. We will
let the theologians decide upon the re-
lation of faith to a good life or to final
salvation. It is for us to remember
that individual opinion is part of
the average sentiment of the commu-
nifty and that this average faith of
men determines the destiny of the
State There is truth and error mixed
in the old phrase, ''Vox Popuh Vox
Dei"-the voice of the people is the
voice of God. This sentiment was the
reaction from and the response to the
old doctrine of the divine right Of kings.
What is true, right, just, sensible, Is
divine We do not make things true,
right. ETC., by calling them divine, nor
BY assuming that they are Inspired or
that they are the uttered voice of God
The voice Of the people ought to be
the voice Of God. And the importance
of this is measureless when, as in the
United States, the voice of the people
is the efficient governmental power,
where public opinion is not only prac-
tioally, but legally dominant.
Here the will of the people is not
merely expressed at the polls in the Sc
&c hr-1J1 cyf f1f
to bear directly and constantly on all
its officers, who are its servants. 1t is,
then. not merely mistake and mis-
fortune to the individual to hold mis-
chievous opinions; it is a misfortune to
the State as well. Ignorance of and in
difference to the public veal is the
same sort Of crime in the private as
in the President of our land
Government is not a machine to be
oiled and kept in motion merely. 1t is
a social organization, constantly un-
folding itself in harmony with the rapid
and radical growth and change of So
cial conditions and needs.
There are three main roots of the
private sentiment that goes to make
mn the substance and strength of public
nion-Environment, character and
Intelligence. And each of these seems
10 be the chief source of our ideas where
# is separately regarded. We read the
naner in the morn; we talk with a
friend on the way to business; we con-
slider the problem the news brought
,,s through the colored light of our own
tasks and interests; we discuss the sit
nation with a group of acquaintance
at lunch. The evening party throws
ais side light on the question. The next
dav the editor gives his views in the
naner and collects for US the varied
oninions of many journals and individ-
nails in the East and West and beyond
the sea It is the people and the con-
dftions about us that make and modify
our opinion: poverty or wealth; a task
or the urgent need of task; the SEN
+iment of our set or society decides
ne in my view.
Character determines opinion. 1t may
be true that faith decides character,
1t is equally true that character de-
cides faith. A very bad man does not
readily believe very good things. Falth
IS the outcome of life. What we are
influences nightly what we think. This
makes it clear why it is so hard 10
change peoples opinions. Your argu-
ment may be unanswerable and there
may be an apparent assent to your nnal
word. But there viii be a rapid grav-
itation back to the standing of the
personal character
A man must be loyal before he can
really hold and urge loyalty as an opin-