The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-26
HOW THE PRIVATE CITIZEN
MAY RENDER PUBLIC SERVICE
An Address Delivered in Sanders Theater Before
the Students at Harvard University by
h. {. Deming of New York City.


legislature or member of any board of
aldermen, but to public-spirited private
citizens; and the progress yet to be
made and the final victory when it
shall come, will be due to private citi-
zens and the public opinion they have
created and educated.
Take any of the numerous phases of
! the great electoral reform movement.
another movement which has it's root
in the desire of the people for emanci-
patton from political tyranny and bond
age. Registration, an honest count of
the vote, a secret ballot free from in
| timidation or bribery, have been won
/ so far as they have been won. through
the intelligent effort and public spirit
of private citizens and the public opin-
| ion which they have created. ~
The campaign now going .on for free,
indicated nominations to public elect
| i've office, from what source did that
spring? From anybody in public office?
| 1t is, again, the private citizen. What
| progress has been made in this cam
paign anywhere, except under the pres
sure of a public opinion that the private
| citizen has educated? And in the great
political struggle not yet begun, but
| sure to come-in which you young men,
l hope, will bear an honorable part-for
proportional representation. which
means that the basis for the election
of members of our legislative assemblies
should be the representation of ideas
and not more or less politically gerry
wandered typographical sections of the
earth's surface when that comes, will
it be due to the initiative of any one in
public office? That campaign, too, will
begin at the initiative of private citi-
zenS and the persistence of the cam
paign, and the final victory, if it ever
comes, will be due to the public spirit
of private citizens.
i Gentlemen, this is the democratic
way. Any other way would do US no
good. If we have not the vitality, if we
have not the energy, If we have not the
patriotism to investigate these subjects,
!, TO initiate these movements, to create
the public opinion and to keep up the
pressure, then we are not fit to be citi-
zenS of our common country.
!. The choice of field for public ser
vice by the citizen in private station is
boundless. But why go far to seek it?
Why not take the home field? Why not
be puhlic-spirited citizen in your own
, town? Why not do some public service
in the town and to the town where you
live, even if you are not mayor or dircc-
tor of public safety or commissioner of
!, public works or a member Of the board
of aldermen? Here is a field for pub
lie service right at your very doors
. that will give abundant room for all
your energy.
Young gentlemen, do not think that
because you do not hold office you can
not be of the greatest public service to
: your city. Here, too, the struggle is to
free the people from political bondage.
Honest, progressive and efficient munic-
, ipal government in this country rests
Upon the fundamental democratic prin-
ciple of local self-government. Clothe
the municipality with all necessary
power to determine and enforce it's To-
cal public policy, give it adequate ma
chinery for that purpose, then leave it
untrammelled by outside interference
and unaided by outside assistance. Let
it alone; let it work out its own prob
lem. This is true democracy. A super
imposed government is not democrat
ic government. The struggle of the peo-
pie of the town toward democracy-to
control the local affairs of their own
town is the handspring of the cam
paign for municipal betterment in this
country.
! Now you can help in this municipal
betterment campaign. You can help in
a thousand ways. You can help create
or sustain local organization that will
labor to have the fundamental princi-
pies of honest, efficient, progressive.
municipal government embodied in law
/ and realized in practice. That is one
thing you can do. You can join with
others in watching the state legislature,
which is constantly interfering with the
fundamental rights of your town. And
you do not need to be in public office to
keep your eyes open, to call the atten-
ton of the public to the evils of legfs-
i latiVe encroachment. New York City 8
water system was saved by its private
citizens from the grasp of the public
plunderer New York's streets have
been saved again and again by the pub
lie spirit of private citizens and their
Watchfulness. If there were time L
could give you scores of illustrations
from the history of New York City.
Only last summer a blunder of its pres
ent administration came very near sac
Tif1cing some of the most important and
fundamental franchises of the citizens
of New York. Who discovered it? The
watchful public-spirited private citizens
who called it to the public attention,
whereupon the administration publicly
acknowledged it's mistake and Joined
the ranks of the public-spirited citizens
| in having the mistake remedied.
Whatever you are interested in, you
can find a field for public service in the
cities. Are you interested in education?
| Think what a vast field for endeavor
there is in the educational field in our
cities. Are you interested in any phase
OF the many-sided liquor question? Are
you interested in the tenement house
question? In the problems that come
from the insanitary and immoral
crowding of the poorer classes? In the
! administration of justice in the subor-
dinate magistrates courts Of cities,
where the poor get their idea Of Ameri-
can justice? Would you abate the
| sweat-shop evil? Are you concerned
about the growing political and econom-
&c Importance of our public utility cor