Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-21
Have Our Sovereign People
AhdIcafed7

Since the day when the Continental
h Congress signed the patent of our
nobility we have shouted, in season and
out of season, Hail, sovereign people"
| When we have said. Two are the peo-
ple, it is all said. Half way round
the world loyal Americans salute the
Stars and Stripes as the sun ushers in
each new day. When Cuba tottered to
our door we held her up; when Hawaii
raped we took her in: when Dewey
took Manila we were ready to adopt the
whole OF the Filipinos. There is no
limit to the sympathies or ambitions of
our great people. In this wonderful
land between the two oceans we have
many peculiar Institutions. One is the
worst governed cities in the world.
Would the writer of yellow book novels
see worse things than unassisted i'm
aglnation can conceive? He seeks
material in the tenement house dis
tricts. Would he who lives by his wits
add 10 his stock in trader Let him sit
at the feet OF the practical municipal
| politician.
1t has been said by careful students
That any form of vice, rife in any other
American city; can be found in Nor
folk; in a word. that Norfolk can match
rascals with any OF them. and has a
good show to win in Il free-for-all eX-
hibltion of municipal wickedness.
Where arc the Sovereign people" Of
Norfolk? Going to church once or
twice on Sunday, weather permitting
and nothing else preventing; going to
business the other six days in the week
i'll all sorts OF weather and in spite OF
difficulties; going to midweele service
sometimes: by desk or fireside finding
eternal fault with the city government,
wondering why such fellows are i'll
Office after they put them there; Won
dering -"ny gamblers are never con-
.victed, though they cannot take time to
discharge u citizens jury duty. BUSH
ness Won't run and run properly with
out the attention of the owner, but the
citizens expect tho city government to
do IT. 1t won't; 1t is going just where
II mans business goes when he ncglects
it,
Men refuse to discharge the plain
duties OF citizenship to see that
honest men are put In office, and
thut they serve the city faithfully.
They should see, for instance, that
professional jurors, the disgusting
parasites which sap the strength Of the
judiciary, get hungry enough to want
to learn to work, because honest men
are willing 10 do citizens part in the
conviction OF criminals. Above all,
they should be willing to do some
things which do not promise Immediate
personal profit. We are not public
spirited. Our city is q whole made up
OF many parts. II the city is selfish
and greedy, how about the citizens?
Well, we won. and traduce the name of
the useful animal from which the
famous ham of Smithfleld is cut. Are
such men sovcreigns? What Is q SOW
ereign? One who commands, yet is the
servant or all. William IL, of Ger
many, yields his scepter to mono. yet
the motto OF his house is, 1T serve"
1t is the right Of the citizen to rule.
his duty to serve, and he wili=find- that
Infinitely more OF service than of COM
mand Is his lightful portion.
There is no excuse for rings, the peo-
pie arc to blame for them. If nobody
had been willing TO do Il wrong thing
10 help some one else, so that when he
wanted, some one else would do wrong
to help him. municipal rings would
never have been. 1T the citizens had
been honest and thoughtful nobody
would have wanted to cater To mean
ness. If a majority had kept the fear
lessness of honesty and a few had been
thoughtful OF public duty, the ring
could not have been. Inasmuch as
they did not learn their duty to their
city and then do 1t without fear OF the
loss OF money or position. inasmuch as
they have been unwilling to serve their
city. but anxious to get something from
her for nothing. the people OF Norfolk
have lost their sovereignty. TO one who
secs. the house that-well, that Jack
built on a fashionable street. is not
only Il monument TO Jacks cupidity,