Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-12-02

wisely or honestly useds 1t means
much to your interest and mlne, in
purely financial way, that public bus.
mess be disereetly and honestly con-
Quoted and We, certainly should keep
ourselves informed whether 1t is.
What comes closer to us than these
riSht guaranteed us by our citizenship,
and which We place in jeopardy by the
neglect of the simplest duties9
But there are higher interests in
volVed in citizenship than those OF
dollars and cents, though all interests
are SO closely related as to he difficult
of separation. Those considered as
purely political are highly important;
and here our sins of omission are still
greater tfau i'll the domain Of bus
mess. do not ask Won to become
statesmen or politicians, but citizens
in the truest sense. when urge YOU 10
come 70 an intelligent understanding
OF Your obligations. We do not need
political doctrnaries who win theortxe
upon the political duties OF others, but
citizens who will recognize these du-
ties as personal and will CONTINUOUSLY
perform them. A man cannot ne glect
his duty to his family without being
an object OF roproach; yet by common
consent and participation in the wrong.
we excuse the man VINO ignores his OBJ
ligation to the state which protects
him and makes it possible for him TO
provide for his family, know all
this is trite, and YOU have heard 1t
gone over repeatedly, but so many
evils flow from this Indifference to, or
ignorance of our political obligations,
Shat II cannot be too severely depro-
cated, nor touched upon too often,
"Nou who are dissatisfied with the
public service, do You know that the
remedy for the evil lies in your own
hands? You can make politics what
YOU Will. If the people of this state
generally We're to interest themselves
hut for year or two in primary cleo.
ttons, the whole system of public ser
vice would be revolutionized and all
appomttve offices would be filled on
the basis of competency and fitness,
and the tenure of the ineumhents
made to rest upon merit rather than
upon obligations for political service.
/ MS, gentlemen, is practical civil ser
vice reform. Interest Yourselves in
dipdually in the selection of men for
office and you will soon wipe out what
ever evil there remains of the spoils
system. There would be nothing TO
complain of III our caucus system II
every citizen would meet the simple
duties which lie before him. No pri.
mary election law can be passed that
Will compel citizens to take part IN
these elections, and il is well so. The
obligation Is one that rests ON higher
ground than can be invaded by statu-
tory force. 1t is morally certain that
unless good citizens interest them
selves actively in primary elections
and political operations. generally, the
evils resulting from corrupt methods
will not be abolished Under our
present system of primary elections
the majority rule, but YOU cant be
counted as of the majority unless You
attend the elections
There is too much OF a disposition
to lock to the making of more laws
as the panacea for all the ills that
heset us. But IL is OF so much greater
importance, in the narrowcst as In the
widest sense, that each man do his
honest duty as II citizen. My friends
what we need is not more laws. but
some method of so stimulating the
conscience of the individual that IA
man Will be ashamed not to meet his
political obligations, You may MI
your statute books with all manner If
reformatory mcasures-and some are
needed but never until you personally
perform those duties which citizenship
have imposed upon you can you secure
the reforms desired. There is no law
or principle which will absove us from
a strict compliance with the duties Of
citizenship. 1t Is just as true in the
political world ms in the field Of morals
that whatever work you and leave
undone will never BE performed. /
wish ! might impress this upon yoa
'ipIi6i w IlhL NC Iltttl HDONt Ill
things, and 1t is so plainly emphasized
especially in every city election in
this state--is an awakening Of the pub
lie conscience upon the subject of cit
izenship.
IT is patriotism gone mad To sit
&C mplaisantly trusting In the great
ness OF our American institutions while
those institutions are being under
mined through our neglect to properly
protect them. ! have no doubt that
the majority Of you are keenly alive
10 your religious duties, but am here
TO say to you that no man can be truly
religious, no man can be much less
tl0n a hypocrite who Is deyotng him
self TO his so-called religious duties
OF citizenship. ! am making no mis-
take here. do not wish to dctract
any from the Importance OF the re-
ligious obligations which rest upon
every man, but want TO emphasize