The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-16
Public Spirit and Citizenship.
(Contributcd.)

and ii has occurred to us
that peoples ideas as to what consti-
tute it are sometimes colored by en-
vironments and individual interests,
and that once in a while man gains
the reputation of possessing it, unmer.
itedly. The almighty dollar is often
potent in the pros and cons Of public
spirit" A so-called public spirited"
man may gain that reputation by put
ting his dollars into some new enter
prise that promises profit. and yet
refuse to pay an assessment for open
ing a street or building a sewer. He
may join a syndicate to erect a fine
building which will be an ornament to
the city, and in which lies the nest egg
of financial return, yet let his pave
ment remain filthy and haggle over
his taxes. He will likely enough cry
| aloud over public extravaganza but fail
to see why economy should apply to
his own locality, his own electric light,
his own street, his own desired i'm
provement. The conscientious public
servant is often bewildered by the
many and varying ideas of public
| spirited" men of affairs and we fear
! Is occasionally turned down by them
because he disagrees with them as to
what is warranted Therefore he may
well ask, what is public spirit'?"
Our idea Of a philosophical man is
one who is ready at all times to lend
| his aid toward furthering the public
| good without considering whether there
| is an element OF personal interest in
| what he is called upon to consider
! Every man can be public spirited;
'The Man with the Hoe" equally with
"the Man with the Coach" 1t is a
! question of spirit-not dollars. If any
distinction should be drawn it should
! be in favor of the man of small means,
! for to him it involves greater sacri-
flee. The man of means. so far as
| power goes, has more, through his
wealth, for evil as we'll as good. But
dollar for dollar, we question if he de-
serves as much merit as the smaller
man.
We also think a realization Of the
duties of citizenship is an important
|
question. also, in whether the man Of
small means does not value his citizen
ship more highly than the man of large
means. Let dOubter take his place at
the polls in some district where wealth
| largely centers, and watch the men
who vote. Likely enough the next
morning he will hear severe condemna-
Ias.
bother themselves about voting" but
who nevertheless anathamatize and
moralze when the voting does not go
to suit them. Public spirit is not fad,
but involves the performance of public
duties and involves sacrifices and will
| ingness to bear a share of public bur-
dens. Sinking these things is incom-
patible with it and it cannot exist with
out them. Any assumption of public
spirit" by the citizen who shirks the
duties of citizenship, marks him as a
public sham. Neglect of these import
ant responsibilities indicates decadencc
and decadence in citizenship involves
decadence in government.
There is a growing impression that
there is a tendency among our wealthy
class to careIessness in performing the
patriotic duties of citizenship-for no
man can be a patriot who neglects
them-and without doubt many of the
evils in public affairs so loudly COM
planned of would be rectified If these
duties We're more closely performed. II
is to be feared that this dangerous in
difference is increasing, or at least not
decreasing. The average man of means
pays little attention to the education
of his boys to become conscientious citi-
zens and to realize the Importance of
citizenship. In the pristine days of the
Greek and Roman republics, the COM
ing of age of the youth was celebrated
as a day of glory, and the chief glory
was the attainment of the rights and
privileges of citizenship. When the at
tainment Of these rights ceased to be-
come a glory, the republics became cor
rupted and fell, and the unYarying rule
is that history repeats itself" How
many of our young men, on arriving at
age, consider the glory of citizenship
and how many take any pride in cast
ing their first vote? Can any thinking
man fail to see i'm this supineness an
element of future grave danger? 1t
may be said that "way down deep" the
feeling is there and that in the time
of extremity they will, like the dsin-
herited knight in "Ivanhoe," rush to
the rescue. The black knight having
rescued Ivanhoe, relapsed into the
sluggard. The "public-spirited" man
should be steadily alert and active as
a citizen.
Ministers in Cumberland, Md, are at
war over marriage fees. 1t has pro-