Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-26
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OBLIGATIONS OF THE CITIZEN.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE CITIZEN.
Support for Office Only Men Of Char
Columbia State.
At the Church of; the Good Shepherd
on Sunday, the Rev. w. P. Witsell, the
rector delivered a sermon, which has
been deemed by many who heard it as
most timely and appropriate.
1t was based on st. Matthew xxii, 81,
Render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars" In part the minister
said:
Ever since the utterance of these
words by our Lord. they have been rec
ognized as the true expression OF the
moral necessity of mans doing his duty
to his country, Of meeting his obliga-
tions and responsibilities as citizen and
patriot. Now the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of citizen in a democracy diff
fer from and are greater than those of
the individual in the kingdom or en-
lpire. For under the republican form OF
government 1t Is the citizen who con-
trolls. 1t is here that we find. or should
find
1.-THE freeman casting with unpur-
| chased hand
the vote that shakes the turrets OF
the land"
The primary duty of a citizen In a
democracy Is to vote. His greatest re-
sponsibility Is to see that his ballot
is cast properly, righteously and seri-
ously.
It always makes US somewhat sad
and fearful to hear men-good men
say: II take no interest in politics.
have not voted in five or ten years"
Such men are not patriots. They are
not men who love their country with
a genuine, true love-the love that i'm
pels them to act for her good even
though it costs them something to do
so. When good men cease to take an
active interest in the affairs Of the gov
|ernment of a republic, they really, per-
haps all unconsciously, but none the
LESS really and truly SOW the seeds that
inevitably bring forth the wild weeds
whose poisonous exhalations will ulti-
mately sap the vitality of government
by the people. No republic can last
long when It is controlled by the worst
element of it's citizenship. And
so long as good and upright and honor
able men neglect their primary duty TO
their country and leave the government
in the hands of the selfish and corrupt,
we cannot expect and we will never
have high and pure administration OF
high and pure principles. We. the peo-
pie, are responsible for the kind of gov
Iernment we have and the manner OF Its
administration. II we have unprinci-
pied, incompetent. and weak men in
public Office, we who neglect to cast
our voice against such a condition. are
as responsible for their being there as
are those who actually voted for them
They are In voice by means and by
Il
our lack Of interest in the election, just
as much and as truly as by the pres
ence Of others at the voting places and
their active interest in the campaign.
No doubt we all have known elections
to be won and lost by a few votes. And
we know at the same time that some
men whose votes would have changed
the results remained away from the
polls, not manifesting sufficient Interest
in the cause Of good government and
the welfare Of the city, the county, the
state and the nation to register their
convictions, to take their stand, to dc
their duty. Those are the men who are
responsible for such officers being In
control. They are responsible for all
unwise and evil legislation enacted by
them; for their neglect Of duty and
non-enforcement Of the laws and the
winking at and silent protection OF
vice.
All, my friends, it is vain, it Is SELL
condemning for men who profess to
take no interest in politics, who refuse
to discharge their Fundamentally duty
as citizens of a republic, to complain
of bad government. of open vice and In
sufficiency and non-enforcement OF the
law. They are responsible for such \
condition and they have themselves
alone to blame.
. We send men to the state and no
tional legislatures whom we know to be
unframed. short-sighted, self-seekins
and corrupt, and they do foolish anC
unscrupulous things. Should we bc
surprised? Do We expect figs from
thistles? Should we blame them? We
sent them. We are responsible. And
if we are unwise enough to send men
of small grasp and base principles to
make our laws and execute our stat
utes. when they act the fool they dc
but truly represent us.
When men numiliate and disgrace
their state in legislative halls and exc
cutive departments, and we return
them to their positions. we set oul
seal of approval upon them; and what
they do can reasonably be regarded b!
others az our sense of decency, propri-
ETY. and honor. And those Of US wht
fail to vote for others than such mer
are aiding to send them back as ou'
representatives and eXponents. Anc
thus we see that as DR.. Alexander Nc
Kenzie has we'll said: There are few
duties to which a man is more firml!
!. held by every consideration of honor
than he is to the duty of voting. If the