Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-02-24
DUTIES OF CITIZENSHIP.

the M. +. church in Barton.
Acts 81; 39. "A citizen of no mean
city"
Paul claimed that Tarsus of Celicia
was no mean city; proud of his citi-
zenship we may well believe from
what we know of Paul, that he was
one who zealously performed the
duties pertaining thereto. Proud OF
its institutions of learning, of its sys-
tenn of government, of its homes, for
these had had their influence in form
ing the character of the great apostle,
he was one having no small spirit, no
mean spirit in himself, and could look
back upon this city, his home, as one
that owed the exCellencies OF its cltl-
zens to the fact that they were per-
sonally, interiorly, no mean men.
1t is a great thing to be a citizen OF
this cout try, this commonwealth, and
this beautiful village; this privilege
has corresponding obligations. Con-
sidering our blessings, nowhere on
earth is the claim which the state
makes upon the citizen so just and
reasonable. Many, many tin es am
asked how church members in old
Vermont may be awakened to keen
er sense of their duties as citizens?
Could not this question be said truly
to be related to the talk ABOUT our de-
thing about these, almost since l can
remember, yet all they need is better
modes of cultivation, more scientific
enrichment, study of adaptation to
different crops, and they can be made
to show wonderful results. They are
still capable of producing greater
crops than ever in the past. With a
deep interest in the teaching of citi-
zenship in our schools and churches,
with the public alive tOthe necessities
of these modern times, we can pro-
duce better citizenship than ever in
the past, though that holds a glorious
record. Many of us know Christians
who are able and jealous in the dis
charge of political duties. l hope
this may be the case with a majority
of the church membership of this
section of the state. How sad, when
you ask resident for long number
of years of your locality, if his name
is on the check list, and he replies,
81 don't know and 1 don't care.
have lost all interest, in fact, l have
not cast a vote for several years.
When tt is is the case ought there not
to be some means taken of arousing
men from their apathy which in time
would consign our liberties to the
worst in community instead Of the
best. Let Us ask the question, are
there not men of character and stand
ing that seek many ways of escape
from jury duty? How many serve
willingly or intelligently on the board
of health, or the school board? How
many attend town meetings or the
party caucus? How many are ready
to step aside from the business of the
tarm, factory, counting house, in glad
response to the calls that a free re-
public makes upon it's citizens. How
serious the matter when good men
those who realize that they are com
petent for right dscernmenJ and dis
elimination on a jury find anything
almost, for an excuse, and allow men
to take their places who arewaiJing
and wanting such positions. Will not
a faithful answer to the above ques-
ton awaken a keener sense of our
duties as citizens. First of all the
man of character should be made to
entertain loftier conception Of his
state and political duties, they are
now very apt to think of these as
wholly secular. Fierce and long has
been the battle that resulted in sew
erance of State and Church, many
corruptions have existed under this
combination, but in escaping one
peril we have introduced another.
We make dividing line and con
slider the church and things of re-
hgion as sacred, and the state anC
politics we call secular, and we arr
tempted to, or do, tolerate a differen
code of ethics for one, than the other
Very frequently we hear the expires
sion, "The muddy waters of politics,
but must they necessarily always re
main muddy? The case has bee
known when in the heat of part
contests, the church member ha
without protest from others bee
heard to say in excuse for palpabl
dishonesty, "All is fair in politics,
when almost every precept of CON
mon honesty had been trample
upon. 1t is a fundamental erro
working serious consequences, t
think of state ar politios 40 DoiSOni n