The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-19
PRESENT DAY THOUGHTS.
BY G. Grosvenor Dave.

BY G. Grosvenor Dave.
The New Man as a Citizen.-The in
dividual beads do not constitute neck
lace. The cord that passes through
them explains the sinuous grace with
which they lie upon the bosom OF
beauty. Sever the cord and the collec-
tive grace is gone The new man, as
citizen, understands fully that the
one thing which imparts value and in
| terest to his life is the fact Of his be-
ing in and of and .permeated by racial
| claims He knows-and it mOldS his
| life-that were he thrust out alone and
defenseless into the wilds of forest land
he would wage losing battle against
the boisterous forces of nature. Part
of his political creed, therefore, is that
the best things Of life-the protection
the mutual aid, the transfer of helpful
ideas and almost perfect supremacy
over nature-come from the fact that
he holds by his fellows and his fellowa
hold by him. Consequently the new
man. as a citizen, is opposed in every
possible way to the fierce individualism
that will make a man exclaim every
man for himself and the Dell take the
to those things that are selfish in the
behavior either of citizens who rule or
citizens who are ruled. He is against
thievery and jobbery in high places and
equally against apathy and. neglect OF
privilege in low places. You must not
argue with him that greed is an in
stinct and that self preservation is the
first law, for he can show you number
ha
race of ours to prove unselfishness and
self sacrifice-even unto death-to have
been the highest possible gain to the
race as a whole In the continuation
of the discussion he will insist that
you do not drag it down to the indi.
vidual basis: for, to go back to the
necklace illustration, he will show you
that it is the string of common life
that ties US together in one interest and
one benefit An individual bead can be
taken and yet there will still be a neck
lace So, too, an individual life can
drop out yet the stream of life will go
on; leading us to the understanding
that an individual life is of merit only
as it brings beauty and strength and
honor to the glorious whole of which
it is a minor part
The new man, as citizen, is going
to bring to pass in ever increasing de-
gree this test of a mans merit-not
Did he die rich or did he gain indi,
vidual honor?' but Did he feel his
social obligations and thus leave the
race gamer by his life. The new man
as a citizen accounts for the remark
able growth in this country of the
municipal spirit. We have advanced
beyond the stake when the physical
conquest of a continent used up ou1
total energy. We have ceased to spread
ourselves thin over a broad area and
the waves of population roll back more
and more upon the towns and cities.
The new man sees that this cannot go
on indefinitely, in it's past needless way
without straining our social fabric to
its very foundation. He it is who sees
that tenements are light and airy, that
breathing spaces are reserved in per-
petuity, that life is in every way rem
dered more human both for himself ana
for others. He it is who suggests and
carries out vast plans of municipal i'm
provement, whose benefits will be en-.
joyed solely by future generations and
whose burdens are borne most heavily
by this.
-
The new man, as citizen will be
prompt to acknowledge that every great
question has two sides. Consequently
though he will not be lacking in very
definite opinions upon all public ques-
tions, yet fierce partisanship will be far
from him, and in its place, only cour-
tesy and charity toward those who OPP
pose him. He also sees that the triumph
of an idea does not carry with it SIM
ply the benefit of the triumphant party.
but that the rights of the defeated are
a most real obligation upon the shoul-
ders of the victor. 1t may be well said
| that things have not always been
so. Very we'll; the new man will reply
that "the world moves" and he will
also tell you and prove to you that the
| pendulum movement in political tri-
umphs has been largely due to the fact
that the party in power has forgotten
that it was administering for the whole
people:
The new man, as a citizen, is going
to bring'to pass a better day of cleaner
politics; for he is to declare that man
who is morally unfit for his compan-
ionship or the courtesies of his home
is politically unfit to receive his vote
He understands that Notwithstanding
those who see. with him are few at
present, yet their strength is not to be
counted by numbers; for he has the ut
| most faith in the pervasive power of a
right idea. The increase of his kind
will bring back into political life men
of strong character and of leisure. He
will demand as time progresses more
and more real trust of the people, SO
that we shall hope to see as part of the
machinery of future government the
| referendum vote, by reason of which
all important actions of a Legislature
shall be referred back to the people
his contention will be that while-alas!
bad legislation can be bought by
! schemes among few men the purchase
of the majority of the voters in State
would be out of the question. But run.
ming along beside his efforts to give the
people real voice will be a constant
effort to educate our. mixed classes up
to a better realization of their privi-
leges as men and as Americans.
Finally. the new man, as citizen.
will dispose of the universal suffrage
question in this. way--women by her
physical contour4and by her maternal
functions is unable to do all that men
can do. In short she is a different
creature.\ with different ways of look
ing at things. with different modes OF
| thought All these differences being