The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-21
HOW TO GOOD CITIZEN
REV. VIRGIL w. TEvIs, OF PITCHER
PLACE, SHOWS THE WAY.
The Man That Resorts to Vitupera-
tion in Argument Is Usually n
BIatherskite.

teresting series Of sermons on Moral Les
sons from the Police Court" His subject
was, Some Lessons for Good Citizens.
He said:
"St. Paul, the great apostle, himself a
lawyer of convincing logic and matchless
eloQuence, against the advice of his friends
came TO Jerusalem. There a mob seized MIN
With the avowed purpose OF destroying MIN:
He was with difficulty rescued by the chleI
captain, and was about TO be led away 10
the castle when he demanded the privilege
of defending himself In a speech. He based
his demand upon this statement: Il am a
man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city or
Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. On the
strength of this statement he was given the
opportunity of addressing the people and
was ultimately loosed from his bonds. One
of the highest hOnors that can be con-
ferred by any government is the preroga-
tive of citizenship. 1t means much. With
it goes a voice i'm the management of at
fairs and the possibility of the highest
honOrs which can be conferred upon a man
by his fellow-man. The right of franchise
is so sacred that it should be used con-
scientiously by every good citizen regard
less OF probable political results. Only by a
faithful and honest use of the ballot can a
citizen testify to his appreciation Of the
privileges of citizenship. To stay away
from the polls, though your opinion may be
in the minority, is cowardly. 1t is always
manly to express your opinions politically,
even though your star may not be In the
ascendency.
ITO be a citizen means that those in au-
thority are your servants, not your mas
ters; elevated by you to their present posi-
lions and held responsible by you for the
faithful discharge of the duties m
upon them; and whenever any man disre-
CARDS the voice of the people who are re-
sponsible for his election and elevation, or
shows that he cares nothing for their ex-
pressed desire. he should be henceforth
doomed TO political oblivion.
WHAT CITIZENSHIP IMPLIES.
citizenship further implies hat your
personal interests and safety are looked
after by the laws which are framed for
that specific purpose. and that your rights
are absolutely assured and held sacred. To
this end the department of justice is or
ganized. the city is patrolled by guardians
of the peace and the sentiment of the COM
munity as a foundation s%ustains the entire
fabric. If the community prospers you
prosper with it. If its star shines abroad
in the galaxy of favored communities, part
of its luster is yours; If, on the other hand,
1t merits condemnation, you are one OF the
sufferers.
9Th basis of good citizenship is a desire
for good government. In the legitimate
and laudable strife for business supremacy
morals are not to be overlooked. We are
all interested in the reduction of lawless-
ness to the minimum. 1t is not premlSed
that in a large city all will be law-abiding
citizens. Even in Paradise Satan came
also Those visionary theorists who dream
of an absolutely ideal city, in which moth
ing enters that defles, have yet to see that
dream realized. But under our statutes, by
eternal vigilance and conscientious enforce
ment of the law, crime can be reduced in a
great measure and q warning note sounded
which will deter many a man from COM
hitting acts to which he might otherwise
be tempted.
Good citizenship implies a painstaking
study of the problems which are encoun-
tered in the development of every city. The
larger a community grows, the more the
tendency is toward corruption in politics.
While it is true that even in smaller places
political rings are in evidence, II is more APP
parent in the larger centerS. political
temptations are multiplied in great cities
The patronage attaching TO office is greater
and future political influence. through the
dispensation of this patronage, may be IN
creased. The opportunities OF s~elt-aggran-
dizement are more fattering, and so in all
parties the tendency is to curry favor with
all classes. regardless of morals. Some are
elected to lawful offices through illegal and
lawless methods. Money flows like water
in both primary conventions and on cleo
ton day, in violation of the righteous law
which makes il a crime to either buy a vote
or to sell it. AS a city grows the foreign
population increases. Along with our
brother from abroad who intends to be-
come a loyal American citizen come the
r~iff-raff, who have no regard either for God
or man. These bring with them their for
eign customs. To them there Is no sacred
Sabbath. They disregard the laws OF the
land and trample them under foot as they
interfere with what they deem their lib
critics. These liberties, consisting In doing
as they please regardless OF the laws, they
found on their arrival here, and to which
they subscribed on being naturalized- Any
man who would look with contempt upon
any law which has been held constitutional
by supreme authority-that is, any law
which naturally springs from the very
foundation stones OF good government,
would stain with dishonor that proud flag
which stands as the symbol of the very
nation which. by virtue of her superior
Constitution, has placed herself in the van
i'm the sublime procession of the nations of
the earth. All law must be held sacred if
we propose to maintain our prestige, and
every good citizen is, by virtue of his citi-
zenship, a personal guardian of the honor
of his community, and should be jealous of
her good name both at home and abroad.
IMPORTANCE OF MORALS.
while as good citizens we desire the
spindles of our factories to turn, and we
endeavor to add to the hoarse whistles
which call a happy people to work, and
thus maintain their families in comfort, we
are not to forget that, after all, the morals
of the community are of prime Importance.
on this hangs the possibility of law en-
forcement. A law becomes a dead letter
without sufficient moral sentiment behind
it to enforce it. Whenever you find an
effete law upon the statute books which is
vet law. never having been repealed, you
can safely rest in the assurance that not
enough interest has been taken in ii to
wake IL UP and let it make it's own appeal.
ION moral sentiment hangs security OF
citizenship. Show me a community where
immortality is in the majority and 1 show
YOU one where property has deprecated in
value and from which good citizens seek
to break away at the earliest opportunity.
We have had some such places which have
~dishgured our maps. In some instances
the citizens bore with lawlessness until
patience ceased to be a virtue, and then,
waking up to their danger, took the law
into their own hands and purged the place
of it's ~iniquity. Immediately prosperity be-
gan.
moral sentiment hangs the desirable
ity of residence in a community. Our
wives and children are of first Importance.
The home which shelters, them is a sacred
institution. We have a right TO demand
their safety first of all. They are of more
Importance than money and their interests
are above real estate. TIL home cannot be
forgotten in the rush of business. There
the good wife spends the most Of her life
and from the freside spring the sciOns Of
our race. No man wants to rear his fam
iv in an atmosphere of evil influences.
and none will knowingly if at all able to
prevent il. We boast that along with our
marvellous progress as a city we are en-
phatically a city of homes. and in order
to perpetuate our home interests the moral
atmosphere must be kept as pure as posi-
BILE.
Every good citizen is so far interested
in the moral welfare of his city that he
stands ready TO rebuke vice upon all oc-
c~asiOns, both in private and at the polls,
whenever he has opportunity. He should
not fail also TO give words OF hearty en-
couragement 10 every official who is trying
hard 10 do his duty. He is 10 remember
the difficulties encountered in the admin
/ fafraTfOn of the law and hlln6 charity