The daily sentinel., 1907-02-16
PRO BONO PUBLIco

A whole lot OF people VIII never
do anything for the general welfare
of the public, until they are assured
in advance that they are to receive
due returns.
Other people viii never do any
thing Of public nature. 1t matters
not what pressure is brought to bear
upon them.
Many men claim that their busi-
ness interests VIII not permit of them
doing anything of public nature.
They never seem to realize that the
man who does things for the public
is perhaps just as much interested in
what he has to do in the way of busi-
ness rs they are.
This kind Of people very frequent
ly dampen the ardor of the man who
does want to do something for the
general good. He feels that the other
fellow does not appreciate what he
does and perhaps thinks he is a d-n
fl for being a public servant.
II this public spirited individual
would permit himself to listen TO
such argument, little OF "A public
nature would ever be accomplished
He must expect to find business men
and citizens who will let the other
fellow work himself to death. If he
Will. in his behalf. Not lnfrequent- |
ly 1t is the case that the principal
beneficiary of what is being done.
viii be the Individual who refuses to
aid in any public work.
Wherein then comes the salts
faction to the man who will make
sacrifices for the good of all. We be-
lieve that the return will come to
him In a thousand different ways |
moro particularly in one way than In
all the others-the self con-
seiousness that he has lived up to the
ideal of complete and true citizen
ship.
There possibly will be very little
real money return for anything
which he does, save that general de-
gree of prosperity that all will en-
joy through a prosecution of schemes
for the upbullding of any community. |
We have known well intentloned
men to become positively enraged
and refuse to perform any service, |
because in looking about they have
discovered some other citizen and
business man. whom It is known will
receive direct benefit from their
well intentioned work. doing moth
ing toward upbuilding his commun-
ity
We must confess that to realize
such condition. save when the mind
has been schooled to the knowledge
that such conditions Will be found
prevalent everywhere. is most exits
peratng.
But what would you do? Some one
must do the work that must be done
to make city grow. 1t is not to be
thought of for one instant that be-
cause some men refuse to do any
thing. that nothing shall be done
We find also from close per-
sonal observation and our own de-
duotions that men are rewarded in
their business life. in proportion as
they respond TO the general demands
for public spirit In their respective
communities. There are of course
exceptions to this very general rule.
but on the whole we believe that It /
win be borne out in the majority of
cases.
The measure of advancement that
has come to this city, has been be-
cause 1t has had n generally public |
spirited lot of men. willing usual |
ly to do whatever has been within
their power to advance the general
good. thereby receiving n proportion
ate benefit for themselves.
There is such a great amount of
work to do before us that we have
been constrained to write upon this
matter. which seems to effect many
people so differently. We advocate
that all men should have large
measure of public spirit. In like
measure we believe that no man has
right to obtain his bread and but /
ter from any community and enjoy
the benefits of the labor of love that
1t always requires to build city |
without putting his shoulder to the
wheel and doing his share towards
showing"
This year seems so fraught with
big things for Grand Junction that
every business man, citizen and prop
erty owner should be alive to the
propitious moment and do for the
whole people, as he has never at
tempted to do before.