The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-20

sonal work that you can and should
| do, work that no other can do SO
effectively as you can. This means you,
reader. The greatest American. living
or dead, Abraham Lincoln, first used
these famous words, "a Government of
the people, for the people and by the
people," We, the people, have our
representatives in the House and SEN
ate at Washington, all of whom, 1 as
sumo, are there from choice, and as
rule all are willing to continue to rep
resent their respective constituencies,
and in order to represent their creators
1t is very necessary that they know
just what the majority of their con-
stituent voters want them to do in their
respective positions. especially if the
Representative desires to succeed him
self at the next coming election. Here
| is where individual effort counts. !
am not so mentally charged with ego
tism as to assume that 1, an infinitesi-
NAL atom, one-eighty-millionth atom of
these United States, can accomplish
ything-that the influence of my per-
sOnal efforts would be felt Yet l do
maintain that large aggregation of
said atoms will invariably accomplish
desired results. In union there is
strength; united, we are the people, as
thus far the voice of the people is the
mandate of the law. Lengthy petitions
to Congress have become stale. practi-
cally noneffective, as it is conceded that
a large signature of any kind has no
interest in the matter one way or the
other. When our respective officials
offer their services to the people at an
election, if there is at the time any
specially important measure to come
before the next Congress assemblies, the
matter is discussed before the election,
and the respective candidates declare
what their attitude will be toward sue,
measures should they be elected This
suftces as his guide SO far as it goes,
but it does not go far enough. While
Congress is in session this WirZ Monu-
ment is sprung; Representatives and
Senators wish to know how each and
every one of his constituent voters feel,
what course they wish he should pur-
sue. They cannot represent us unless
they know what the majority desire. |
Then it is not only a privilege, but a
bounden duty, we owe to our Repre-
sentatives. to the people, to our COM
rades living, to our comrades dead, that
each of us write n personal letter to
our respective Representatives and
plead, in the name of God, justice and
humanity. in the name and on behalf of
those comrades who laid down their
lives in prison and cannot plead for
themselves. In the name of all that is |
sacred to humane people see that no
monument with proposed inscription
be erected to the heartless Wirz or any
other similar character in these United
States.
Comrade, can it be possible that vir-
tue has sunk so low and vice assembled |
so high in the minds of the people that
they will calmly stand and see this
shameful boasting of cruel tyranny, |
lauded by a monument to stand as a
falsehood for all time? Each and
every one of US has a duty to perform.
Reader, will you do it? Don't say you
can do no good. l mean to go down
conscious of having done my duty as
L see it, SO that if possible Govern
ment of the people, for the people and
by the people" shall not perish from
the earth.-T. A. Cooper. Co. C, Goth
Ga, Station B, Oakland, Cal.