The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07

everything they needed except money,
and Of that they had little need, except Tor
the payment OF the small taxes exacted
every year. Under such conditions gov
rnmen might we'll have been regarded
as an outside affair whereof the less people
heard the better. Mr.. Root proceeds to
compare the life Of an American farmer 100
years & with that OF a resident to-day
in one Of N cities. We can all Of us realize
whsn Mr.. Root reminds us that the city
family IN dependent for every article Of food
and clothing upon the products OF far dis
tant places. These products are supplied
through great and complex agencies OF
transportation. and for the most part have
been provided for Use by remote mines,
foundries. mills and factories. The indi-
vidual household. for example, depends
upon fuel brought from far distant deposits
OF coal; is light comes from gas and cleo
trical plants over which IL has no %control;
the habits OF bu Niness and social life are all
adjusted TO means OF communication fur
nished by great telegraph and telephone
companies and by a Government postal
service. The individual urban family has
no power at all over he things that are
absolutely necessary for its daily life. Free
access to ones house depends upon the
faithful performance OF its duties by a street
department: safety from thieves upon a
police force. aud freedom from pestilence
upon the sanitary disposal of the sewage
OF thousands Of other households. "A
strike in the coal mines like that which
occurred in Pennsylvania five years z
may nj any time put out not only the fur
mace but the kitchen fire; a strike in the
lighting plants like that which occurred
not long z in Paris may plunge the
individual house and the whole neighbor-
hood in darkness. A quarrel between rail-
road companies and their employees or
the inability OF a railroad company to
furnish sufficient transportation may cut of
indispensable supplies: the meat which
almost all OF us demand 10 liable to be dis
eased unless some one possessed Of authority
inspects the packing house. the very name
and place Of which nobody In an individual
family il likely TO know Under the
pressure Of such intricate and complete
interdependence the individual is utterly
helpless. The only way in which he can
compel the continuance OF conditions under
which he and his children can go on living
at all In by combination with others equally
dependent with himself. and by organixa-
ton for whatever control over these con-
ditions is necessary. That combination
and organization Ia government"
The premises are i~ndisputable. What
isthe unavoidable deduction? II 10 put thus:
Men may leave all this part OF the business
Of life to othsrs. and treat il as no concern
Of theirs; men voluntarily may elect to
play no part in the control OF the affairs
which make up their daily lives. and to play
no part in the working out OF the great
questions upon which the prosperity Of
their country. the future Of their children
and the welfare OF the race depend. but
they reed not Hatter themselves that these
things are matters apart from them or
that they are leading free and independent
lives Abstention from public afairs 10
impossible under the conditions Of modern
life and modern popular government.
Men must either govern or be governed;
they must take part in the control Of their
own lives. or they must lead subject lives.
helplessly dependent in the little things and
great things u life upon the will and power
Of others"
Msnifestly. then. IL 10 the duty OF every
intelligent man alive to the social and po-
IiticaI conditions under which he lives to 60
to the ballot box and take . more or less
active part In public affairs. What Ia the
real reason why 40 many men refrain from
participating in party p~olitics2 To this
question Mr.. Root replies In his second lect-
ure. which describes the function OF political
parties. The real reason. he says, for hold
ing aloof from party politics is that men are
unwilling TO spend the time and the money
and the labor necessary for the due per-
Torrance Of their duties as citizens. They
prefer to attend TO their profession. their
business, their pleasures and allow others
TO govern them. rather than take part In
governing themselves: they are willing to
permit the great struggle which 10 continu-
ally proceeding for the preservation and
protection OF their own property. their own
liberty. their own opportunities. for sound
principles OF finance. for the preservation
OF society, for the correction Of social. politi-
cal and business evils. for the punishment
OF wrongdoing. for tho furthsrance OF Jus
tice and the maintenance Of peace and
righteousness. to 60 on without any help
from them. They are willing. Ia a word.
rest OF their countrymen would bring our
constit utional government to an immediate
end. wreck our prosperity and stop our
progress.
H..
In the chapter on the duties OF a citizen.
considered an q member Of q political party,
Secretary Roo OF course points out not