The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-07-21
FIGHT AS you PRAY.
Judge West Gives Advice and Urges
Action.


Action.
The interest in the good government
services has become SO strong that the
Congregational church was filled Sun
day night. although the heat was al
most unbearable. The service was a
union of Congregational, Methodist and
Baptist churches to listen to an address
by Hon. Howard West, of Lansing.
Patriotic and the older church hymns
were sung by all those present with
much enthusiasm, while the solo by
DIR. R. j. Tick was excellently rendered
and much enjoyed.
A scripture lesson was read by Rey.
Clyde, prayer was offered by Rev.
Leonard and after the address those
who were in sympathy with the senti-
ment of the evening and with the en-
forcement of the law as to base ball
playing on Sunday and other well
known infractions, and would stand by
the mayor in his effort to cure some of
the evils and prevent further criminal
action, were asked to rise Practically
everybody rose and if they stand by the
pledge the city will be the gamer in
many ways. Judge West said in part:
We meet as citizens, as sovereigns
OF the land, and as such to express our
intents and purposes, and renew our
determination that the law shall be
obeyed and Gods will be done, here
and now, in Michigan.
an citizen and the duties and
obligations OF citizenship are upon
me, and my first duty is to meet them
as an upright man, acu.ated by right
principles, should meet his duty
toward God and his fellow men.
We may differ in our religious and
political opinions but let us have
sense enough to agree upon and work
together for the principles of decent
society and good government.
Good citizenship calls for some-
thing more than the payment of taxes,
just as Christianity demands some
thing more than the payment of pew
rent.
1t calls for man to live up to the
dictates of his conscience, and dare to
do those things he knows to be right.
1t does not call for talk alone, but
for clean personal and business and
public and religious life, so that, be.
fora God tba MON ,oou ba a oood
citizen where ever he may be.
Men who don't want the laws 'enforc.
ed, unite to bring about the defeat of
the official who dares to enforce them,
and they don't unite upon party lines
either.
They unite upon the broad platform
of self interest, and they and their rela-
tives, and their friends, and their
friends friends, and hired workers, and
the supporters of the party nominating
the candidate of their choice, work all
day upon election day, and the day be-
fore, and the week before, and the
month before and before that to bring
about the defeat of that official while
good government men, so called, are
sleeping upon their interests, and pray
ing for the success of the right, and
saying kind things about that official,
but there is no united effort made by
them in his behalf, and party lines are
not departed from upon election day,
and when it is too late they deplore the
fact that they did not work openly for
the man who worked openly and
honestly for them.
How easy it is for the christian to
ask God to do that which he dares not
do himself, but could do if he
would, If he only had back bone,
and how contented the con-
science must be, after asking God to do
for you that which you know as man
and citizen you should do for your
self.
Let it be understood in any communi.
ty, that the law must be obeyed and ii
will be obeyed.
One hundred men united and deter.
mined to maintain the laws for decency
and morality, in any community, with
the law as it now is back of them, can
make that place as wholesome as may
be desired.
Will you fight?
If you will; for your rights Of citizen
ship, for good government, for the laws
observance, for decency and morality,
the word will be passed along the line
of those opposed to these things and
good government will prevail without
any fight at all.
The poorest kind of reform is spas
modic reform, and it seldom harms any
one except those who are sensitive of
criticism. it is the kind where its work.
ers get fighting mad and attack all
kinds of evil one day, and then need
the remainder of the year in which to
rest up and then break out again for
day Just to show that it is not entirely
in the graveyard Of good intentions.
Just as storms are foretold by
threatening weather, so are such spasms
of civic awakening foretold to those