The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-09-19


annual fair to be held in the near future.
The attendance at our meetings is
good-S2 present at the last meeting
We have found it very profitable to
hold meetings regularly through the
summer, also to hold the meetings
weekly, every meeting being regular
one; ready to transact any required
business. do not think it profitable to
hold meetings semi-monthly.
Let the members of this new Grange
hear from the one who can show a
better record. -Fraternally, w. S. Lar
rabee, State Deputy.
Everybody believes the old saying
that eternal vigilance is the price OF
liberty" but most of us believe it in a
very indolent, easy-going sort of way.
Things have z one so well with us in
the past that we have fallen into the
habit of thinking that they will con-
tinue to go as they should without any
special attention OF effort on our part.
Besides, we have been busy making a
living, and have had very'little time to
devote to matters of public interest.
| The simple fact of the matter is that
most of us neglect our public duties.
| 1t is our business as citizens of free
country to give our time and our
thoughts to matters of government. OF
course we elect officers to look after
matters of detail in administration; but
some one or some body of persons must
select the men to be candidates fol
Office before we have chance to vote
for them. The mischief is done IL
most cases when the wrong men have
been nominated by both parties because
we and other equally good and good fol
nothing people have neglected to pre-
vent the nomination of these wrong
men, 1t sometimes happens that, IL
our righteous indignation. we music
up sufficient courage to defeat thu
candidate of our own party because h
is unfit for the office; and it also happen
that we sometimes help to elect al
equally unfit man of the other part,
who has been nominated because othe
careless citizens have allowed som
clique of self-seekers to nominate him
Let it be confessed that it is easier I
talk like this than it is to live up to on
ideals of what the good citizen shout
do. 1t is easier to scold the averag
man for his carelessness than to be til
, kind of citizen the average man think
every other average man ought to bt
And these seedlings can hardly be yer
acceptable to any but the exceptions
man who never neglects his duties; an
T, vet somebody must scold-or otherwis
. stir up the people to their privileges an
duties. In his speech making tout
President Roosevelt has been doing
9 little excellent lecturing on the duties {
citizenship. Here, for example, are
!, few sentences that are likely to be mol
pleasing and more instructive to reader
!, of the Bulletin than if they were as we
said by the editor-in-chief himself: Il
g this country of ours the average citize
has got to devote good deal of though
and time to the affairs of the state as
whole, or those affairs are going to {
backward. That time must be devote
!, steadily and intelligently. If there
d any one quality which is not admirabl
e whether in nation or in an individua
o it is Mysteries. The man or woman wi
q makes up the ten days Indifference
/ duty by eleven days morbid repentan
= about that indifference is of very seal
E use in the world. Now in the san
. way it is of possible use to decline to
81 through all the ordinary duties of eli
y zenship for long space of time, al
~ then suddenly get up and feel ang
u about something or somebody not clea
~ ly defined in ones mind, and demand l
l. form as if it were concrete substan
N and could be handed out forthwith. "
American Grange Bulletin.
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