The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-29
NOW BE GOOD.
Governor Stanley Gives Young
People Some Pointers.
Good Citizens League Advised
to Set the Example.
DON'T USE A CLUB
People Can't Be Forced to Be-
come Good Citizens.
Discharge Duties by Obeying
All the Laws.

''Be good your own Selves was the
principal thing that Governor Stanley
told the people who attended the meet
ing of the Good Citizenship league at
the First NJ. E. church last night. He
did not add, land you will be happy"
according to the old maxim, but he said
that was the way they could do the
most good in the world.
Three-fourths of those in attendance
were young people, and large proper
tion of them were women. 1t was a
different kind of an audience from what
the governor expected, and he was not
prepared for it.
when was asked to attend a good
citizenship meeting here tonight said
the governor, Il supposed it would be
number of citizens who had come to-
gether for the purpose of consultation.
When L get here L find a large number
of young people to whom am expected
to make an address. The first thing
asked myself was, what is good citizen
ship?
"Of course good citizenship means the
enforcement of the law, but it means
to your country. Your idea of a good
citizen and mine may be different. 1
may think certain man is a good citi-
zen, while you may think he isn't
There are reciprocal duties between
the citizen and his country The citizen
owes allegiance to the state and the
state owes protection to the citizen
Good as applied to a citizen has no
moral significance. 1t has the same
meaning as when we say good engine
"a fit competent suitable citizen. 1t
means man who discharges his duty
in a right manner to the state.
Can man discharge his allegiance to
the state that gives him protection by
breaking it's laws? This doesn't mean
one or two laws, but all Iaws-it is onlv
narrow minded persons who think it
applies to only a few laws. We do a.
great deal of talking about the other
felloW-' We point out where he breaks
the laws and condemn him for it, but
does that make US any better citizens?
You young people can more fully dis
charge your duty to your state by
obeying all its laws yourselves than you
can in any other way.
you can't club a man into good citi-
zenship. You may punish a bad man
with a club, but you can't convert him.
The best way to make good citizens is
to be good citizens yourselves and yollr
example will have influence over
others. How does it help us to saw
that some other man is doing wrong?
Is 1t helping him for you to meet in
meetings and denounce him? Your Off
GERS may not be doing just as you want
them to, but it is your duty to give
them your support.
"A rev days ago received a letter
from some good man who had an idea
that the governor was some colossus
VINO can reach out and enforce the law
iy
the governor has not much more power
than any other citizen. If that man had
made the same complaint to his county
attorney that he did to me 1 have no
doubt that the attorney would have
proceeded against the law breakers and
convictions would follow. That is the
best way to proceed"
Governor Stanley was followed by
several others, who made short
speeches, but there was no enthusiasm
manifested whatever until DR.. H D.
Fisher got to talking, and he was in
terrupted with frequent applause
Il am one of those who believe in oc-
casionally locking up the men who per
sist in breaking our laws" said DR..
Fisher am getting sick and tired
OF letting a lot of men keep on vio-
lating our laws simply because they
pay $1OO to the city treasury once in
a Whlle. DO you believe our county at
torney and district judge would fine a
horsethief $100 for stealing your horse
and then turn him loose to steal mineP
l don't think the city officers have been
doing their duty in the past. If toev
had been they wouldn't have arrested
three or four jointists, as Awe are told
they did the first part of the month
and then continued their cases until
April II, so that they could keep run
ming till after Santa Fe pay day and get
part of the money that belonged to the
wives and children of the shopmen of
TINS city. But L am glad to see the
course Mayor Drew and the new mar
shal are pursuing in this matter and
hope they will keep it up until every
jointist is chased back to Missouri where
the border rufhanS came from in the
first place"
DR.. ]. t. Mcfarland, the new pastor
of the First Methodist Episcopal church
also spoke briefly, but being a newcomer
In Kansas he did not know enough of
the situation to speak at length lIpon
the subject, but expressed his sympathy
with the good citizenship idea
After the addresses a business meet
ing was held in which the following res
oIutions, indOrsing the course which has
been adopted by the new city adninis-
tee composed of w. c. Ralston, H w
Page and T. E. Stephens, and were
adopted:
: Whereas, During the last few wears
there has been general laxity in the
enforcement of the prohibitory LIQUOR
law IN our city, until the violation OF
law has become practically an estah-
lished fact, jointists have been openly
and brazenly defying out statutes the
peace and sobriety of Topeka have been
jeopardized and it's once good name
held in contempt, and,
Whereas, Since the accession of Hon
Charles j. Drew to the office of mayor
the city administration has Waged an
energetic and vigorous warfare against
the jointists, with the result that the
proprietors of eleven places have been
stopped selling liquor entirely Others
are running on very short rations. and
the present attitude of the administra-
ton promises still better things to
come; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we, the members of
the Young Peoples Good Citizenship
Federation of Topeka, Kan, in our reg