The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-15


century; and have we not exhibited
growth and achievement in every d.
rection, that discredit all parallels in
history? After us the deluge. Why
then need we bestir ourselves and why
disturb ourselves with public affairs?
Those of our citizens who are delug-
ed by these notions and who allow
themselves to be brought to such a
frame of mind, may we'll be reminded
of the good old lady, who was wont
to impressiVely declare that she had
always noticed if she lived until the
first of March, she lived all the rest of
the year. 1t is quite likely she built
theory upon the experience which in
duced her with the passing of each
of these fateful days, to defy coughs,
colds, and consumption, and the at
tack of germs and microbes in a mil
lion forms. However, this may be
so, we know that with no design or in
tention on her part there, came a first
day of March which passed without
her earthly notice.
1.-The withdrawal of wholesome senti-
ment and patriotic activity from polit-
ical action on the part of those who
are Indifferent to their duty, or fool
hardy in their optimism, open the way
for a ruthless and unrelenting enemy
of our free institutions. The aban-
donment of our country's watch tow
I
and the slumber of the sentinelS who
should never sleep, directly invite the
stealthy approach and the pillage and
loot of the forces of Selfishness and
Greed. These baleful enemies of pa
triotic effort will Turk everywhere as
long as human nature remains unre-
generate, but nowhere in the world can
they create such desolations as in free
America, and nowhere can they so
cruelty destroy mans highest and best
aspirations for self-government. 1t is
useless for us to blink the fact that
our scheme of government is based
upon q close interdependence of inter-
est and purpose among those who make
up the body of our people Let us be
honest with ourselves. If our nation
was built too much upon sentiment, and
if the rules of patriotism and benign
ity that were followed in its construc-
ton have proved too impractical let
us frankly admit it. But if love Of
country equal opportunity, and genuine
brotherhood in citizenship, were worth
the pains and trials that gave them
birth, and if we still believe them
to be worth preservation, and that they
have the inherent vigor and benef1-
cence to make our republic lasting and
our people happy, let us strongly hold
them in love and devotion. Then 1t
shall be given US to plainly see that
nothing is more unfriendly to the mo-
tives that underlie our national edifice
than the selffishneSS and cupidity that
look upon freedom, and law, and or
der, only as so many agencies in AID or
their designs. Our government was
made by patriotic, unSelffish, sober
minded men, for the control and pro-
lection of a patriotic, unselffish, and
sober-minded people. 1t is suited to
such people; but for those who are
selfish, corrupt, and unpatriotlc, II IS
the worst government on earth. 1t is
so constructed that it needs for its sue
cessful oDeration the constant care
and guiding hand of the peoples abid-
ing faith and love; and not only is this
unremitting guidance necessary to keep
our national mechanism true to its
work. but the faith and love which
prompt it are the best safeguards
against selfish citizenship. Give TO
our people something that will concen-
trate their common affection, and solic-
itous care-and let that be their coun-
try's good; give them a purpose that
stimulates them to unite IN lofty en-
deavor-and let that purpose be a de-
monstration of the suthciency, ana
beneticence of our popular rule-and
we shall find that in their polteal
thought there will be no place for the
suggestions of sordidness and pelf.
.sWho will say that this is now our
bannv condition? Is not our pubic
life saturated with the indecent de-
mands of selfishness? More than TINS.
can any of us doubt the existence OF
still more odious and destestible evils
which. with steady cankering growth,
are more directly than all others,
threatening our safety and national
life? l speak of the corruption of our
suffrage open and notorious, OF the
buying and selling of political places
for money, the purchase of political
favors and privileges, and the traffic in
official duty for personal gain. These
things are confessedly common. Every
intelligent man knows that they have
grown from small beginnings until
they have reached frightful proportions
of malevolence; and yet respectable
citizens by the thousands and hum
dreds of thousands have looked on with
perfect calmness. and with hypocriti-
cal cant have declared they
are not politicians, or with silly
pretensions of faith and luck in our
strength, have languidly claimed that
the country was prosperous, equal to
any emergency and proof against all
dangers.
Resulting from these conditions in
matter not difficult to trace, wholesome
national sentiment is threatened with
utter perversion. All sorts of mis-
conceptions pervade the public thought,
anu JCdlOu0ANo AdRAhAy NHhAhS Oh NAtC
complexion of class hatred are found In
every corner of the land. A new mean
ing has been given to national pros
perity. With a hardihood that savors
of insoleace, an old pretext. which has
preceded the doom of ancient expert |
ments in popular rule, is daily and |
hourly dinned in our ears. We are |
told that the national splendor we have |
built upon the snowy ventures of spec |
ulative wealth, is a badge of our sue
cess. Unsharing contentment is en-