Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-08-14
The Duty of the Citizen.

In the selection of candidates for Of
flee and in the endorsement Of men
and principles, the people Of York
county are right now confronted with
the highest duty of citizenship, and
how the county as a whole shall ac-
quit itself will depend on the faithful
discrimination of each individual.
We are very we'll aware of the fact
that with many good citizens, this
matter of selecting candidates, passing
upon the comparative fitness Of fel-
low citizens to fill given offices, is a
distasteful duty. There can certainly
be very little pleasure in it. and there
are those who would like ii better If
the necessity should never arise. But
long experience has proved that the
exercise of this duty is essential
to the preservation of the civic health
of the body polite and it cannot be
escaped-not without harm to the pub
lie welfare.
That The Enquirer belongs to the
class that finds this duty distaSteful,
it does not hesitate to confess. 1t
would be much better pleased If things
political were more stable, and the
political machinery Of the country
once established in reasonably salts
factory operation it could remain So.
But realizing that this cannot be,
with others who seek first the best
welfare of the country as a whole, we
try to do the best we can.
But the people should not expect
too much of the newspaper in mat
ter of this kind. The function Of the
newspaper. especially of a newspaper of
the kind Of The Enquirer tries to be,
is merely to try to give it's readers as
full and as accurate information Of
the situation as 1t is able, and after
that the people must do the rest. Such
matters are not to be decided by what
newspapers say and do, but by ma
jority vote Of the people, and whether
the minority continues to think the
majority right or wrong. it is its duty
too.
1t is sometimes the case that indi-
viduals claim that they have no choice
between the candidates offering; but
this is not a good excuse for neglect Of
duty. There can always be found
some good reason for preferring one
candidate above another for any Of
flee. and it is the duty Of every citizen
to find this good reason and to act up
on it.
Because we have been enjoying fair
ly good government for so long a time,
many people are disposed to ease their
consciences in the conclusion that 1t
will always be so; but this is a serious
mistake. In a government of the peo-
pie, the people can have good govern
ment only by giving it their most dis
eliminating attention. If all do their
full duty the government will be as
good as the people are capable Of ad-
ministering. and as for those who neg
lect their duty, they will in any event
get as good as they deserve.
Many individuals who hold them
SClNSS up do Soou ClllZelS, Keep Out Ol
politics because they say they do not
like to mix with class that they con-
slider not SO good as themselves.
With this idea, we have no patience
AS we have already remarked, it is
the duty of every citizen to devote full
and conscientious attention to poll
tics. And the people who do not do
their full duty are not as good as the
alleged bad element that show a more
active interest.