Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-01-31

cietv, in the church and il a controIl-
ing factor, to my mind in retarding
instead of advancing, the up-building
of communities along lines of progr-
ess, morally, socially and politically.
| look upon the fact that the average
citizen now depends upon an agency
or an organized fundamentally tt
preform a thinking part in matters
DIS one uf the serious mistakes of oul
modern methods. | appreciate the
convenience as time saver to the in
dividual of working through an assoc
iation seeking results in politics Of
civic Improvement, but regret thai
this method keeps the individual re.
mote from the details as we'll as the
object sought to be attained. Ir
addition to this, we lost sight Of one
phase which to me is most important
as it relates to the quickening Of
every moral activity.
Politically we have changed the
system to a certain extent. The pri.
mary election law wisely, in my
opinion, emancipates the voter form
the meshse of the party organization.
1t permits the citizen to exercise the
individual right of selecting his owl
choice OF men to serve him IN an ad
illustrative or legislative capacity.
| believe in the responsibility Of the
individual to the community and tt
the state. IT this responsibility car
be delegated. in supine, care-free
way, to another individual or to some
organization, little remains to citizen.
ship in broad sense. Back of this,
and to me, far more significant, is
the fact that the moral sentiment il
any community, too often seeks
cowardIy refuge In Sinking RESPONSE.
bility. While there is strength in
numbers, there is a greater strength
in the sentiment back of movements
if this sentiment reflects the opinion
of individuals and not of organized
instruments.
The real and true beliefs of the
people, the foundations of state an:
national strength, their adherence tt
what is right, constitute safety. This
is sentiment that can always be trust
ed.
1t is the sentiment ct honesty, Of
right conduct and uf that broad pa
triotism which stamps American civil
zation with achievements. 1t is the
sentiment OF the home and fireside
the inspiration of truth upon which
the character of individuals and com.
munities are built.
My purpose in thus addressing you
is to point out that the responsibility
of citizenship cannot be delegated, mol
can we escape our plain duty by at
taching ourselves to some agency ol
machine operating in place of indivId
ual effort.
The great moral forces Of the coun.
try, massed into church organizations,
the associations of individuals seeking
the up-lift of humanity and every or
gained effort towards right, are moi
to be undervalued in the work done,
In the good results achieved. My
view is. that communities are but .
reflex of the citizenship and that eact
and every individual is personally re.
sponsible for a share in all work and
results seeking a betterment of condi.
tions.
l am not unmindtul that great OBJ.
jects are obtained through the force
and power of organized effort, but de-.
sire to impress the fact, that before
results can be attained. there must be
public sentiment, the expression OF
individuals, manifest and active.
without proper public sentiment,
alive through individual efforts and
convictions, results, at best, are but
tentative evidences of the best thought
of communities. Too frequently that
which is best in every community, in
every city, town and village, finds
work and effort nullity because the
masses of the people are out of touch
with movements seeking the up-buiId-
ing of the moral or civic life. While
the movements may not be inspired
by narrow minded or bigoted effort,
the fact remains, that the work of the
leaders Is misjudged because TOO fire.
quently, they have forgotten the prime
essential, that of taking the people
into their confidence. Public senti-
ment is lacking, upon which to build
a successful movement.
1t is because Of this lack of senti-
ment, assertive and active, that move.
ments fail. Those leading moral
reforms frequently suffer from the
of men and women SIM
ply because their motives are misuu-
derstood and the objects sought to be
attained, are not based upon the view
of general sentiment.
/ could give no end OF instances,
where some of the best and noblest
men and women nave ever known,
have utterly failed, because of their
remoteness from actual conditions of
life. The preacher. however high he
fixes his desires for the attainment of
good. however active he may be as an