The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-09-17

sHoULD DO IT.-A PAPER READ BEFORE
THE REGULAR MEETING OF PooTAFUcK
GRANGE, sEPTEMBER.7, 1897. .---
The town Is a corporation ander the
constitution and.laWs of the State, for
the purpose Of local self government. 1t
exists for the sake Of the convenience and
common welfare of the people of the
community. 1t is a component part of
the State. and through its representatives
helps to make the laws by which it is
governed. The towns constitute the
State, the State governs, the towns, the
towns govern themselves according to
the constitution and laws of the State.
The business of the town should there
fore be done for the sake of the greatest
good of all'the people. This is the fun
damental idea Of the constitution OF the
State of Connecticut. owe Declare, Sec
ton L. That all men, when they for rm a
social. compact, are equal in rights; and
that ne man or set of men are entitle ed to
exclusive public emoluments or privileges
from the community
First of all then the business of the
town. should be done according TO law,
because the law is the expressed will of
the people of all the towns which belong
together under the compact of the state.
So long as we are in the. State we are
bound By. the law of the State. Govern
mentis the first great necessity of or gan
lied society" Indeed society cannot ex-
ist without laws which are rules of CON
duct. =, And as President SeelYe. says:
'sThese laws are very precious. In a free
land they are the source and strength Of
freedom. They ought therefore to be
joyously obeyed. 1t is true they are not
always perfect !; they are sometimes very
imperfect. But unless they call upo b us
to do what our conscience tells us we
ought MOTTO do, we should obey them,
seeking always, by all lawful means to
make them better" ...-, =. --.,
= The object of the law is to, secure to
every one the largest measure of freedom
in the exercise Of ali his natural rig hits
and privileges. 1t makes common groan
common cause and equal rights. among
men. TherefCre obedience to the law Sc
cures the peace, harmony and the great
est liberty of action to all. He who VIC
lates the law abuses the freedom of the
whole community. He who abuses le-
gal rule of conduct tramples upon his own
privileges as member of society. The
man who robs the public wrongs every
member of the corporation and introduces
confusion into the social circle at large.
We are in the nature of the case members
one of another, and when one suffers all
must suffer with him. The town as a
corporation is one body having many
members and it is the duty of every mem
Der to have the same care of the whole
body in all its mutual relations and de-
Tendencies. The business of the town
must be done according to law or there
will be social and moral conflict and con-
fusion. The man who thinks to prosper
in any community, at the expense and
loss of others will in the end find that the
all-pervading law of God has in some way
balanced the account, and that what was
urjustly taken was not his gain but his
loss instead.
The business of the town should also
be done on the best business principles.
1t may be dore according to law and still
not be well done. As a corporation the
town is like any other body that has bus
mess interests to be wisely looked after,
and conducted to the highest practical
success. The financial affairs uf the town
are not essentially different from those of
the farmers, merchants, manufacturers
or any other citizens of the common
wealth. Public business is not different
from private business except that it con-
Germs the whole community instead of
one, or few, and therefore ought to be
done with even greater care and fidelity
than a private Individual might. feel
bound to bestow upon his own limited
responsibilities. We expect man to do
we'll for himself, we have right to ex-
pect him to do as well or better for the
town or the State. If man cannot or
will not do well for his own sake, he ia
manifestly not fit to be intrusted with ary
public affairs which concern t'eci mmiin-
ity at large.
1t is well said that: I'VE owe the gov
ernment more than simple obedience. We
should serve it in every way we can. We
should not only be law abiding ourselves1
but we should seek to make othersa
abiding also. II we have the
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