The Washington herald., 1908-07-12
WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

ously unite and fight for better things
Good citizenship. then. means knowing
what is bad for the public, hating IT, and
going after it hammer and tongs.
1t Is a common complaint that bust
ness men In this country take little inter-
est in politics and give little time TO
movements for the public welfare. Euro
peans declare us a nation OF shopkeep-
ers, our sole concern being the almighty
dollar. The majority OF our people. feel
ing that they have no time for public af-
fairs, leave politics and,/government 10 a
few professional politicians and are not
much concerned because politician o. s
5000 job can manage 10 save $4,000 a
year. This is the charge made against
our business men. not only by foreign
visitors but by local students of our po-
litiCal institutions. and il has foundation
IN fact
I'VE Americans know not how to ex-
plain this delinquency Of our business
men. In no other country is money made
50 fast or SO easily. The rewards of sue
cessful enterprise are so great that the
keenest competition prevails. Those of
us who are descended from the old stock
who cleared forests and drained swamps
and fought Indians have I'm our blood an
unconquerable instinct for getting on, for
providing comfortable houses for our
families. and a comfortable living for
our old age.
BY Process of Evolution.
But We are not all the American peo-
Pile Surrounding and outnumbering us
are the sons Of almost every country in
Europe. men whose Americanis1n dates
back only one or two generations; men
who sought here the opportunities that
were denied them in the Old World. Out
OF this heterogeneous mixture or people
the real American business man has not
yet been evolved. but we know that he Is
being rapidly developed and that when
his character finally is shaped il will not
be Yankee. nor German, nor French. nor
English. nor Irish. nor Italian II will be
a combination OF the best, the finest, and
the sturdiest elements OF each of those
nationalities.
And one Of the grounds for my faith
in the character of the American busi-
ness man Of the near future is this High
School Of Commerce, which Is evidence
that the business men Of to-day realize
their shortcomings and want their sons
to be better trained than they were for
all the duties OF life and citizenship.
Cries Down Pessimism.
THE United States has the reputation
OF being badly governed. Indeed. its
cities are said 10 be the worst governed
OF any in the world In my opinion we
do not deserve this pessimistic verdict.
Our politicians are not half so black as
they are painted When we consider how
little time or Alteration We really good
people give to politics or TO government,
It Is surprising that the politicians let us
have as much spending money as they do.
Now. no one can deny that demOc-
racy like ours. more than any other form
of government. needs the services of its
best citizens. Nor can II be denied that
in this country our business men are pO-
tentially our best citizens; that is TO say,
they are the ones who know most about
the needs of the people, and who are best
able 10 show how those needs most thor
oughly and most economically can be sat
isfed
The business man is brought daily In
TO closer contact with all classes OF peO-
pie. He knows better than any one else
what they like and what they abhor. We
never can have an ideal government or
model city until the business men Of this
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