The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-23
CITIZEN A SOVEREIGN
THOMAS D. : OBRIEN IMPREssEs
THAT FACT ON PEssIMIsTIo
KICKERs ABOUT POLITICS
VIEWS PRACTICAL POLITICS
Eminent Churchman, Politician and
Orator Speaks at the Y. M. @. A.
Rooms ON the ballot Box - The
Politician What HIS Constituents
Demand of Him. ME-. O'Brien De-
cIares. a, otr

T. D. O'Brienfospeke on the ballot
Box" yesterday afternoon at Y. M =.
A. hall in the presence Of a large audi
ence. The address Was prefaced with a
scripture reading bye Secretary Edward
Grace, selections by, Rrof. Herbert's male
chorus, vocal osole1 by r. B. Abbott,
and a violin solodbyatJ. j. Linehan. MI
O'Brien spoke nopartq as follows:
THE subject that has been assigned
me is The Ballot Box and my inter-
probation is thevd duty of the individual
citizen in the exercise of his right OF
franchise. The best way for man to
realize his duty in that direction Is to
appreciate what American citizenship
means, and appreciate something OF the
government under which we live. There
is an analogy between the government
of the United States and Christianity.
So far as civil government is true the
perfection of Christianity Is found In
the constitution and laws of the United
States. In the equality of men before
God it has it's underlying principle. Hos
pitfalls and charitable institutions spring
up all over the world in obedience to
this principle. The city hospital, with
it's corps of trained physicians, Is the
direct result of the gospel. We all real
ize this fact, but we fail to work out the
direct connection The spirit Of Christ
found its eXemplifcation in civil govern
ment in the constitution Of the United
States. The man who denies this Is the
sort Of man who is incapable of judg-
s,,cr hafto ant nf
man is the underlying principle of our
constitution.
'There had been other republics before
the United States They were different
in that they were founded upon rights
granted by superior power to the peo-
pie. Our constitution is unique in the
fact that is was decided and framed
by the people themselves. When the
people undertook to frame the constitu-
ton they decided that the individual
citizen should be q sovereign. to all in
tents and purposes. They abolished the
law of primogeniture, the principle of
feudal tenure, and religious liberty. The
latter end was only accomplished by a
complete separation Of church and state.
Our government Is as perfect civil
government as it possibly can be. Our
country for magnitude and greatness Is
unequaled upon the globe. We have
every climate, every character Of soil.
+ All these natural advantages are given
us in addition to civil and religious lib
aerty. The men of America Should awake
to a. realization OF their advantages. We
should not fall in our citizenship It Is
as citizens that it is important for us
to regulate these matters. Here the
voter is the sovereign. The voters can
make president, but the president can
not make voters. The Individual citizen
is every year becoming more and more
Independent. Party allegiance in par
ticular is becoming weakened. Now the
citizen has become ashamed to say that
he is bound by party shackles The men
who are candidates have the greatest
interest In the individual The Interest
of 1.-The voter. is In the preservation Of
the laws and constitution Of the United
States. e3S ~
The greatest power-in politics today is
public opinion. The behavior of the pol
tticians Is simply a reflex of the things
that the public desires. Those who talk
OF corruption in politics ought to ex-
anime their own conscience and see what
they demand of public officials. Amer
lean citizenship Is unequaled. in the
Wogh 1.-THE man who has prejudice
against ad,race or a GLASS is Simply igno-
rant nti The constitution OF the United
States has produced the best class of
citizens in the world Let us guard 1t as
we would guard our own homes" 10