The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-02-08
The Democratic Advocate.
WESTMINSTER, MD.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 8, 1907
The Duties of Good Citizenship.

In many countries the subject of "the
duties of good citizenship" would be a
matter of little Importance to the individual.
So little is he reckoned with, in the affairs
of his country, the making ofits laws, etc.,
that the only duty he is called upon to
perform is that of obedience, -obedience
TO whatever may be demanded of him.
How different in this free country of
ours, where the individual citizen is the
very basis of the government; where the
whole structure rests upon and derives its
power and life from the people. For the
proper administration of affairs, the people
choose public servants, but hold within
themselves the true sovereignty Of the
State, and are its veritable rulers.
There is great deal of that mistaken
idea among the people, that men who
hold public Office, are our rulers. While
it is an honor to hold public position, and a
still greater honor to perform its duties
well, the highest and best that can be said
of public Office is, that it is "a public
trust" held by the individual, for the time
being, for public service.
In republic like ours, the people con-
stitute the source of power, and it is upon
their virtue and intelligence the safety of
the country must rest. How this should
exalt, in our own estimation, our American
citizenship, and lead us to intelligently and
conscientiously discharge the duties which
grow out of this relation.
1t is absolutely essential to the good of a
republic that political parties exist. 1t is
SO, that in every republican form of gov
eminent, they do exist. And it is the
patriotic duty of every individual citizen to
ally himself with, and exert himself to
promote the interests of that political party
which most nearly represents his own con-
victions, of how the government, whether
County, State or National, should be con-
Quoted. The party may not represent
everything he desires, or conduct its affairs
in every respect according to his liking, but
if he is an honest man, and believes he is
connected with the party which stands for
most of that which he approves, he will
stick to it, and like good citizen and d
good party man, try to make it better.
Party organization is necessary to make
party effort effective. Men can do nothing
alone. They must cooperate with others
of like purposes. And while we do not
think there is room in any party organiza-
ton for the party Boss, there is plenty OF
room for the party Leader. The rank
and file of any party ought to, and would,
ignore and condemn the dictatorial party
Boss, and at the same time willingly follow
some wise and capable Leader.
The purpose of this article is not so
much to discuss political parties, as to re-
call our attention, as individual citizens, to
the high privileges and responsibilities of
our American citizenship.
And let it be understood, that there is
no man too high or too holy, to be poll
tician, in its best and truest sense, and
that the corruption in politics today, is due
more to the indifference Of the good men
who are out of it, than to the pernicious
activity of the bad men who are in it.