Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Final Session Marked by
Rousing Meeting Last Night.
MACFARLAND'S SPEECH
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT CLARK
READ By SECRETARY.
Replies to Friendly Letters and Tele-
grams to His Sick Bed,-Aims
for New Era.

The twenty-second international Chris
| tian Endeavor convention closed In Balti-
more last evening with rousng meeting
| in the great 5th Regiment armory. in which
| the delegations from all of the states took
part. The closing day of the immense
! gathering was in many respects the most
important Of all. The addresses delivered
| late In the afternoon by Charles J. Bona
parte. Secretary of the Navy. and by Com
missioner Henry B. F. Mcfarland of the
| District OF Columbia were among the best
of the convention.
Mr.. Bonaparte spoke on pure Politics
and Religion and his address appears
elsewhere in todays Star.
Mr.. Mcfarland president of the board
of District Commissioners, was the last
speaker on the program Responsibility
for Public Opinion was his subject.
Macfarland's Address.
Public opinion governs everywhere" he
said. 1.-THE more civilized the country the
greater Its power. and the more directly
1t operates. Wherever there is government
of the people by the people-what we call
self-government-respo for public
opinion as the expression of the will of the
soveretgns is direct and exacting 1t is
shared alike by every intelligent citizen.
man or woman. young old. Voting by
ballot, which is one form of expressing
the popular will, the only form provided by
our laws, is confined in most places to
minority of the adult citizenship. AS
rule women are excluded (simply because
they have not unitedly asked to be in
cluded) from the exercise of the elective
age of twenty-one have not this privilege
of voting. In many of our states males
over twenty-one who cannot meet certain
literary or property requirements are not
permitted to vote. But nobody he
cluded except by his own act from taking
part In the more effective expression of
the popular will by means of public opinion.
All systems of political voting are nee
essarily cumbersome, and uncertain and in
frequent in their action however extended
may be the electorate. But the action of
public opinion is as efficient and instanta-
neous a stroke of lightning. Every day
the invisible polls of public opinion stand
open for twenty-four hours. Every day
We sit in judgment on all who's we care
to judge at home or abroad and cast our
Invisible ballots on all the questions of the
day. We have both the initiative and the
referendum In fact, so that we do not need
them in form.
Public opinion, expressed by the news
papers, by public meetings and otherwise,
proposes subjects for legislative or eX-
ecutive action as it wills. and passes def
nitely upon whatever the legislature or
the executive does. and even upon the de-
cisions of the courts. At best all that the
political voters can do is to record by
their action on election day the DEGREES
of public opinion. often reached and eX-
ecuted before election day comes around.
All rulers and legislators may not act in
the fear of God. but they all act in the
fear of the people and with the news
paper under their eyes.
The Most Perfect System.
I'VE who believe that all of the people
are wiser than any of the people. and that
government by the majority is, with all
%I,zx ~
most perfect system is that where public
opinion is most enlightened and least re-
stricted in it's workings. Wherever it is
hampered or DETECTED by mere party pol
itics, strifes between the ms and the
outs" over the spoilS of office or by pure
~ partisan newspapers representing not
| the people, but political machines and
bosses, we are to expect dishonest and in
efficient administration, and wherever
public opinion has free course without in
reference from partisan politicians, 50
that 1t can deal directly with the peoples
representatives,, it will inevitably produce
good government.
TT must be evident that no duty of the
citizen Is more important than that which
is the duty of all citizens-the forming
and the exerting of public opinion. 1t is
our duty to make honest return OF our
property and to pay our taxes. 1t is our
duty if we are men. to serve on the jury
and in the militia tand not to serve on
one for the sake of escaping the claims
ment's call to face mobs of rioters or
lynchers, just as it is our duty, whether
we hold office or not-and some OF us
must serve the state by holding ofice;
even at sacrifice-to support, defend
| and obey the Constitution and the laws.
1t is the duty of the limited number who
have the right of suffrage to exercise 1t,
not superstitiouSly, as though 1t had any
virtue or value in itself, but as the only
| official method of expressing public opin-
| ion. But, above all these duties, the good
citizen of either sex. of any age, will hold
supreme in it's privilege and its response
bility the duty of governing by public
opinion. How is that high office to be ex-
| ecuted?
The Duties Of Citizenship.
"First Assuming always that the citizen
so lives as to have the respect and regard
Of fellow-citizens. since otherwise he has
no influence with them. Let him inform
himself carefully about the men and the
acts, the principles and the propositions
upon which he must pass: hear both sides
before deciding. Let one have to ask
YOU to suspend judgment until you get all
the facts that can be had. There is a pop
ular tyranny worse than that of any des-
| pot, and its most cruel expression is in
hasty judgments on half the facts
Second. Having reached a conclusion
after careful examination and elaboration,
express II in conversation. in letters to the
newspapers and to public men, and, IL
necessary, IN puDl1c meetings Which you
may help to organize. Thus you will in
| form and influence public opinion. drawing
| together all those of like mind and pur-
pose, and If you really have a good cause
| 1t must prevail sooner or later. Even bad
causes prevail at least temporarily, when
| their agents skilful in influencing pub
| lie opinion, and you may rest assured that
| they never neglect their work in this
| spect. even If the good citizens do neglect
| their duty. But who believe that God
| rules in the affairs of nations cannot doubt
| that what Is right must win in the long
run.
| Now. all the other duties of a citizen
| are light and easy compared with this one
And it is constant, while they are infre-
| quent Moreover, there is little prospect
| of any other return than the success of the
| effort. The good citizen, however, will not
| be deferred by the difficulties; he will
/ rather welcome them. And he is not work
4 ing for personal reward, like those traitors
| to the state who take brides in any form
/ for their votes