The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-01-10
THE CITIZENS DUTY.
The Felicianas.

eminent IL the loeal OF perfection
IN civil, religious, political aud IN
dustrial liberties and protection.
Practically 1t Is "a contest between
ignorance, viciousness and selfish
ness on one hand, aud the lndlffer-
ence of the masses on the other.
There IS not political i'll IL our
country today the complete remedy
for which does not he directly
within the grasp OF the injured
would they but intelllgently use il.
Every blow, every measure of op,
preston, /. aimed directly at the
farmer, the laDQrer, and while they
recognize the fact and complain
bitterly, slngularly enough they
fail to employ intelligently and con.
sistently that remedy which is the
foundation-lhe essence OF our form
of government. They do not think,
they do not study, they do not act
for themselves. The great masses
Of this country are dominated by a
mere handful Of Its voters. A com
mon school education, or the ab,li-
ty even TO read 4 newspaper, or to
have it read to him, should guide
the average voter to a more patriot
in and intelligent use of his sacred
rights. The Issues Of today are 40
forcible, so clearly drawn, and the
masses so plainly on the defensive,
that 1t does not require the gift Of
prophecy or craftsmanship to dc
fine or decide them.
During this century-and-a.quar,er
of our existence as republic We
may have decided mum Der of is
sues, but we have learned but one
| lesson-that there Il such thing
as too much FREEDOM that the
privileges of self-goyernmeni canno,
be reckles-ly and unfortunately
extended to the, ignorant and the
vicious-tbat this element must tie
eliminated from the body polite
This is an immense stride III the
direction of our ideals, but a great
err yet confronts us. 1t is the
apathy, the indifference of the vast
majority of the masses who com.
prise the real backbone and siuew
of this country, and upon whom all
its hardships and reverses must
fall most directly and severely.
Without them 1t is Impossible to
have IA government Of the people,
by the people, for the PEOPLE.
Without them II is impossible to
have any prosperity except at their
expense. Losing sight Of all petty
considerations Of such matters as
voting for or against this or that
candidate, 1t bchooyes them to a
man to take the same degree of in.
terest, pride and patriotism in
maintaining our independence by
ballot that our forefathers manifest
ed In obtaining it on the battle
field. Until the great producing
and consuming masses Of this coun
try realize that this is their country.
their government, a part of ,belr
husbandry, and that they cannot
produce and market their products
to advantage unless they personally
administer it, they will never come
into full possession and enjoymen,
of the heritage that was bequeathed
them by their revolutionary fore
fathers. Until the great masses
that follow the plow and earn their
daily bread by the ''sweat of their
brow" in the various pursuits,
learn that they must, on auy and all
occasions, persist IN an intelligent
and patriotic use Of the ballot, ab.
solutely in self-defenee, they will
never be free people and tins will
never be the country 1t was de-
signed to be. Trustism and boss
ism of every description must be
downed, in politics, trade or manu-
tacture. The interests of any man
or set Of men must not be cops,d.
cred There should. there can be,
only one real question before the
people, and that is-THE PEG.
PIE. Vote for THE PEOPLE and
their interests or every occasion,
and for nobody else and nothing
else. And keep this question as
close TO the people as possible.
Don't relegate 1t or delegate it to
other authority. 1t Is your inallen.