The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-01
BOOKS OF THE TIME.
Ex-President HarriSOn's Treatise on
the Working of Our Government.


that very large book can contain but
small part of what he knows and has to
say. This Country of Ours" is small
look of 3S5 rather small pages in large,
clear type. The preface is less than a page,
but it declares the purpose of the author,
which is ito give a better knowledge of
things that have been too near and too
familiar to be we'll known" The preface
closes with the hope that the book may
tend to promote an intelligent patriotism
and a faithful discharge of the duties of
citizenship"
The table of contents follows the preface,
and an introduction precedes the general
matter Of the book. The introduction is de-
signed to prepare the reader for the~real
contents of the book by setting forth the
relations CT the citizen to the political or
ganization known as the United States. The
first observation is: God has never en-
dowed any statesman or philosopher or any
body of them with wisdom enough to frame
a system of government that everybody
could go off and leave" ITO pay taxes and
to submit to the law" the writer contin-
Hes, ARE far short Of the whole duty of the
citizen Government is made strong and
effective by the intelligent affection of its
citizens" The fear of the court-nartial
and the provost guard may cause men to
stand steady in battle, but "only love of
the flag will send a line forward with an
esprit that walls of earth and men cannot
withstand" The character and quality of
patriotism are described as follows:
THE impulse Of patriotism needs to be
instructed, ,guided-brought to the wheel
if it is to do the everyday work of Amer
lean politics; Sentiment? Yes. never too
much but with it, ana out of it, a faithful
discharge of the prosy routine of a citizen s
duty. A readiness to go to the field? Yes,
and equally to the primaries and TO the
polls The real enemies of our country
the dangerous oneS-are not the armed men
nor the armored ships OF the great powers.
If there is too much exuberance in the
thought that we can whip the world it is a
safe saying that we can defend our land
and coasts against any part of the world
that will ever be in arms against us. We
are alert as to foreign foeS-the drum-tap
arouseS the heaviest sleeperS. But We are
q duh people as to internal assaults upon
the integrity and purity OF public admins
tratiOn. Salvation Army methods seem TO
be needed in poitico-moral reforms IL
has seend to me that fuller knowledge
of our civil institutions and deeper love
of them would make us more watchful for
their purity; that we would think less OF
the levy necessary to restore stolen public
funds and more of the betrayal and shame
of the thing. A good argument might be
made for the wave theory as applied 10
patriotism, for it seems to have its ups and
downs. There are .eras when it rises to the
combing point and others when greed and
SeltlShneSS rise above 1t on either side.
General Harrison makes defense of the
old-time Fourth of July celebration and re-
grets that we have allowed ourselves to "be
laughed out of it," 1.-The old Declaration
has a pulse in it and ring to it that does
the soul good" HAS your boy ever read
it?' he asks. Have yol-all of it?" he goes
on; and he would like to have the census
takers required to get an answer to the
limo he inc ~ no
triotism, General Harrison is very much in
earnest. He says:
I'm the home and before the school days
come, the feelings should be kindled and
sentiment awakened. Do not be ashamed
to love the flag or to confess you love It,
it. 1t now floats from over our schools, and
it ought to hang from the windows of all
our homes on all public days. like
to think Of the flag as | saw it one night
in Newport harbor. Clouds of inky black
ness had extinguished the stars, and only
the harbor lights revealed to our pilot the
path to the sea. Stiffness and darkness
brooded over the waters and over the
shores Suddenly there was presented to
our sleepy eyes a dazzling sight. Away up
in the heavens the star-spangled banner APP
peared, lustrous as a heavenly vision; Its
folds, waving gently in the soft night air,
seemed to shine by inherent light, and to
move by inherent life. The flag was trans
figured before us, and seemed to have been
flung out of the skies, rather than lifted
from the earth. 1t was not q supernatural
seffect. A great searchlight turned upon
the flag as it hung from ing mgr, stan
wrought all this surprising beauty.
General Harrison believes that "a greater
reverence for law is a sore need in this coun-
try of ours.'s He thinks that a better
knowledge of the laws, how they are made,
and how defects in them may be remedied
in an orderly way will strengthen the con-
viction that they must be observed by every
one All laws must be obeyed. 1.-THE man
who apologies for or participates III the
blowing up of a saloon ought to be held
particeps in the retaliatory crime-the
blowing up of church" I'VE are having
a renaissance of patriotism, and we need a
renaissance of conscience toward law.
THE man who hides property from the tax
gatherer or slips fee into his hand to
OBTAIN preference, canont lead In tiger
hunt. " The executive onicer who neglectS
to enforce any law uSurpS the functions or
the law-maker. Lynchlng is a usurpation-
the GROWING of cruel and unbr1dled ty-
rant. 1t stimulates rather than represses
crime. Speaking of laWIessness, General
Harrison says That its chief promoters are
greed, corporate and Individual, IN It's Va
riouS manifestation and the parasite or
greed-anarcnlsm. Tine corrupting and de-
structive forces assume in their campaigns
the Indifference of the BODY OF the people.
The forces of law and order nave no out
posts; the whole army is generally on fur
lough.'
introduction, the writer makes two practical
suggestions, which are as follows:
I'VE need general assemblies OF the peo-
pie in the smaller civil subdivisions, town
meetings in which the two questions only
shall be considered: First, are the pubic
officers faithfully and honestly tranSacung
the public business? Second, are the laws
not this law or that, but all laWs--enforced
or obeyed? The enforcement OF the law,
whether we opposed or aided the making OF
1t: the strict accountability or pubic ON
GERS whether opposed or aided their
election, should be the objects and the limit
of these meetings.
Having set forth the necessity OF rove LOT
country and profound reverence for the
law the writer assumes that we. are now
ready for familiar talk about this coun-
try of ours" The first chapter Is devoted
to the Constitution, how it was adopted,
how it can be amended, etc 1t is stated
that a constitution should deal only with
large and permanent matters, leaving de-
tails to the Legislature The three great
departments of government, the legislative,
executive and judicial, are explained. The
ton which preceded the Constitution is
set forth clearly and conciseiy The Con-
stitution as it was adopted is series of
concessions made by the States which
makes the government of the United States
one Of specified powers. The powers of the
States and those Of the United States are
clearly set FORTH 1t is shown that the gov
eminent of the<United States is a govern
ment of the people as much as is that of
the state The person who understands the
fifteen pages devoted to the CONSTITUTION in
this book has all the practical knowledge
of the organic law and of the relations of
the State and the Union that he can need.
The second and third chapters are de-
voted to the Congress. The reasons why 1t
is constituted as it is are clearly set forth
Not only are the provisions for the election
of members of the Senate and House given,
but also the reasons for the present system