The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-11-24

are stronger than they are, but they do not count for much against
the united efforts of the law abiding. They are always active, though,
and the average citizen becomes active only occasionally
The power of corruphonists is obtained through the indifference
Of good citizens. Bad citizens are united; good citizens are divided
that is the trouble. If good citizens could be induced to join hands in
patriotic endeavor the bad would be shorn OF their strength and be pow
aerless to accomplish anything. Lawbreakers are always organized,
and work while good people sleep; but once the latter are aroused
they are invincibe.
The government of the nation, state and city rests upon the active
morality Of the average individual In proportion as that morality is
strong the government is good; when the average morality is low the
government must be inferior. When good citizens attend to their
civic duties their civic energy is represented in good officials; when
they are careless their sothfuness is represented by corrupt officials.
of the majority, and no government is better than a majority OF its
voters. If each individual were to attend to public affairs every good
official would have behind him the aggressive morality of his constit-
uents, which would confront every bad official and say to his: mo
further shalt thou 60" Lawbreakers do not care for laws SO long as
they control officials and politics. They do not know good from bad;
all they know is politics. When they are taught everywhere that law
essness is bad politics the question of good government will be near So
luton. The people can teach the mthat.
To arouse the people and make them exercise their civil duties is a
matter of supreme Importance. In a monarchical form of government
all authority is in the crown and delegated to those beneath. Civic
indifference there is not fraught with such grave consequences. In a
republic like ours each individual is a constituent part of sovereignty;
each man is one seventy-fve milonth of a sovereign on the throne Of
American manhood. This may seem small, but it marks the dishnc-
hon between the citizen and the subject Some may think if the gov
eminent were left entirely to you public wills could not exist. But you
have a portion Of the responsibility now. If you are unfaithful with
part Would you be more faithful with all? He that is unfahnful with
a portion cannot be trusted with the whole. If each citizen were to
leave the remedying of public wrongs to some one else nothing would
be accomplished.
The state protects the citizen and the citizen must protect the state
politically as well as financially, and his civic duties are as morally bind
ing as his taxes, If each man were to think that he is only one among
many and that it is unnecessary for him to pay taxes because there will
be plenty without him, the state would be bankrupt if it could not en-
force payment. If every man were to reason that among SO many his
influence for good is not needed, then the state would be bankrupt POI
Gtcaly and we would have a government Of the few rich enough to
buy official favors.
There is sometimes too much of a disposition on the part of some
to allow others to do the face sweating in civic affairs, while they do
the bread eating. Our government in theory gives more rights than any
other, but some think so little of their obligation to the general welfare
that they are often Indifferent to being robbed as long as they do not
feel the effects directly an dare amony the many.
America is for Americans; now let Americans be for America.
The greatness of a nation is not in mere acreage of territory nor in the
strength o. its battesnips alone, but in the purity Of its ideals, the
strength of its ideas, and in the intensity of its devotion to those prin-
cpes which make for justice and liberty throughout the world. In vain
do we build ships of war, fotify our coasts, and man our guns if we
bring not into every rampant and turret the ideas and ideals that make
the men behind the guns.