Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-04-17
Bad
Citizenship
Is Nom
Christian
BY
RICHARD
WATSON GLIDER,
Poet, Lecturer
and Editor

algMw HOSE who believe in the CHRISTIAN principle, what
ever they may believe or disbeicvc in the domain of THE
OLoGY, cannot doubt that bad citizenship is non-chris-
tian. So when an apparent Christian, even il he is not
consciously a hypocrite, either actively or acquicscingy
takes the part fbad citizenship, can there be any doubt that he should
be regarded as "UNDAMENTALLY NO CHRISTIAN AT ALLE
What is the essence of Christianity? Is it brutal s~eldshness, is ST
lying, cheating, stealing, taking your neighbours goods, furthering IN
INSCRIPTIONS ways your W welfare and your partners regardless
of your ~neghbors rights and happiness, or is it honesty, justice, dis
interesedness Who doubts that Christianity is passionate sincerity,
utter purity, COMPLETE SELF SURRENDER? Is not the spirit
of the Christian as open to the influences of the divine beatitudes as
The spreading blossom to the dews of heaven +? Does not the Christian
hold in his heart the shctest rule of scruple-not alone in act, BUT
IN VERY THOUGETI
Civic virtue, at least in the modern world, is in many cases a mat
ter Of slow evolution in the individual The good Wilberforce, SO SEN
sitive in conscience as to the white mans treatment of the black man,
was duh and umdeyeloped in conscience in the matter of what VIC
would call ballot reform. He did not hesitate to buy votes in order
that he might get into parliament, where he could exercise tile
AWAKENED PORTION of his civic conscience in doing good ac-
cording to his lights. Shall we then consider Wiberforce un-Chris-
tan in his citizenship? Not so, because the question of ballot reform
was, apparently, not pressed upon his conscience. He did not sin
against light in his day and generation, as do the churchgoing rngsters
of or day Of ACUTE CIVIC RASCALITY and devoted civic
reform.
There is no excuse in our day of intense attention to the moral
side of civics for any citizen to think himself Christian or eve
hvably respectable if he either actively or passivey assists in the cor
ruption of government. Furthermore, ifhe so assists he may find him
self self accused Of that contemplate trait, MORAL COWARDICE!
Those who strive for better things in American citizenship are
now and hereafter not once to forget that there are other persons to
be considered in governmental affairs than men who are in receipt of
comfortable Incomes. They are not a bad sort, but they are not the
WHOLE Of society.
The fireman who shovcls coal at NOT high wages half of the
tw%cntyfour hours-sometimcs more than la1f-to keep us comforta}
bic in our skvscrapers and palace hotelJa and the man with the dinner
can, in which the courses are not distinctly marked, have a point of
view and a political power that must not only be studied, but synpa-
thncd with AND UTILIZED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS In other
words, representative government must more and more consider the
standpoint and regard the welfare of the great mass of our population.
THE MAJORITY OF AMERICAN CITIZENS CARE LITTLE FOR
ABSTRACT POLITICAL THEORIES AND SOCIALISTlC SHIBBoLETHs,
BUT THEY DO CARE A GREAT DEAL FOR MATTERS THAT
STRONGLY AFFECT THEIR DAILY LIVES AND THE WELL BE.
ING OF THEIR FAMILIES.