Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-10-15
DEMOCRATIC ideas
DEVOTION TO A Fetch is NOT
PATRIOTISM
The CIVIC CtniGS Of Democracy Means
Social Order and Right, Because It
is Right. Each Mans Duties are
to His Fellow Rather Than to
Himself.

Some OF the wayne notions about the
American fl ~ that prevailed before the
Civil war were ludicrously examp flied
by a community Of average intelligence
and sterling patriotism, not mt ore than
seventy miles from New York. who
held their first "Union mass meeting"
in 1861 under the folds Of an immense
home. made flag. They came near to
using flag OF red, white and blue
stripes and an insignificant number OF
blue stars upon white field. neigh
Dor who had 'been to the ci y" returned
in the very nick Of time to advise
change.
Mistakes like that couid not now oc-
cur. The American flag has become as
familiar as the face OF friend, and
along with familiarity there has grown
up a warm affection for it in the hearts
of the people.
But this affection is not necessarily a
good thing 1t portends good or evil
according to its essential character. To
idolze the flag itself, its combination OF
fibre and color and form, i, to worship
fetch. To cherish it as a symbol mere
ly OF the glory of the past is to live out
our patriotism in gtaveyards. Unless
ferent from that and far deeper, by max.
ing it an object OF admiration, we deaden
civic conscience and furnish equipment
for demagogues. If. OH the other hand,
we revere the flag as our symbol Of lib
erty. remembering that liberty is not a
sacred corpse 70 be preserved, but
growing tree to be nurtuied and guarded
the auteole of new glory will battle
sold Glory" in Respondent light.
Doing this with intelligence lie good
citizenship. But it must be done with
intelligence. Patriotism without sense,
like faith without works, is dead it may
1t needs the vitaliz Eng force of inte|li
gence ant this it is the function Of what
we call "civics" to supply
"Civics" denotes the science OF citi
ZtuSl1lp, VI VIC ICIdtIOIIS OCtNCCu wv
zens and the government. 1t includes
duties in society, governmental methods,
and machinery, law in its direct appi.
cations to the interests Of society, politi-
cal economy, and the history ri civic
development and movement. Its held,
therefore, is so extensive that If good
citizenship depended upon comprehen
sive knowledge OF the subject, we might
we'll throw up our hands in despair and
turn this popular government of ours
over to the absolute management OF doc
tors OF sociology But good citizenship
depends upon no such possible condition.
An ry-day kind OF man can grasp
the elementary principles OF civics read
lily and apply them intelligently. 1t is
not loose aggregation of the elements
of all the sciences that this science in
part includes-ethics, political science.
law, political economy and political his
tory,-but "a combination or melting into
complete whole of 60 much Of what is
elementary in those sciences as relates
Directly 10 the rIShtS anu uu!les vi Cit-
izen as citizen.
Civic ethics is the fux with which
this melting is done. the migrating fac =
tor OF the science. 1t refers, not to each
mans duties to other men individually,
which is private morality, but to the
duties of each to his community as a
whole and the duties OF community as
whole to him.