Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-11-13
PUBLIC OPINION.

Editor EVENING NEWS.
In this quiet hour, when the air is
clear of ballots and posters, and our
citizens are looking forward to
Thanksgiving Day, that most COM
Portable and satisfying holiday, will
you permit me to jot down a few
thoughts which the season suggests?
The first thought is, that you are
entitled to the thanks of our citizens
generally, without respect to their
party label, for your constant advo-
cacy of the right and duty of all our
citizens to use their brains in casting
their votes. And that leads to the
larger and more,important and signi-
ticant thought, that 1t is quite evident
that not only in this city and county,
but also in other parts of this state,
and in other states as well the people
did use their brains, to the surprise
and disgust Of the bosses. In other
words, the people woke up to the fact
that they had been following sheep
herders, not leaders of men. Not
that party organization and party 10y
atty isn't a good thing. 1t is afsplen-
did thing when the party keeps in
mind the proper purpose of its organ
ization, namely, to give the best SER
vice to the government to which 1t
yves its very life. But when my
party. or its leaders, put the cart be-
fore the horse. and tell mel must be
a loyal party man first and a loyal
citizen next, I promptly conclude L
am in the wrong CART for ttattripss at
least. And we all Know where that
sort of thing leads III 1t is allowed to
go on. When d man thinks he is the
whole thing he will steal bread from
his mother. WhgIshouldn't he? She
was necessary when he was born, but
now he is, all there is. And when a
party, or its leaders, forget that they
are members of the governmental
family, don't they steal from their
mother, the government? And where
is the difference between the two
crimes? There isn't any difference;
don't deceive yourself, good fellow
citizen.
Now, to my mind, the greatest dan
ger that threatens this great demo-
cratic republic of ours, is that we as
citizens will lose sight of the fact that
each one of us is personally RESPONSE
Bile for the maintenance of its institu-
tions. Once wake up the manhood
of the individual and there is no fear
of the. result, Party states may go to
smash, but you don't hear anybody
claim seriously that. the country is
ruined. And in that view of the case,
I think we citizens of Perth Amboy
have cause for real thankfulness. I
believe that the voters in general at
the last city election cast their ballots
as men, and as intelligent citizens.
One man may honestly differ with
another as to the fitness of a particu-
lar candidate, and the collective judg-
ment of the majority Is not always
infallible. But the thing is, to see
that the voter is allowed. by every
means in our power, to decide this
question honestly. as a man, created
in Gods image and gifted with the
power to think and to choose, and not
a wild animal led around by a ring in
the nose, or a. stupid sheep herded by
dogs or kept in the fold by the si1very
tinkle of a bell. Rings and sifvefy
tinkles are suggestive OF many things
not so far afie1d from the present sub
ject: but we VIII t'Iet it 20 at that"
Let. it suffice for us that the issue was
on men, and was decided by men;
and let us all, as good citizens, thank
God and take couragefor the future.
JOHN H. MULCHAHEY.