The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-02
wnrnse nm nLAME rfiss.

The Pittsbure Post. referring to the seandais that have developed in eonnsction with the oity's municipal affairs, eliminating in the arrest of . number of councilmen and other of- ficisis. very properly lays the blame on the people themselves The peo- pie are the government" 1t remarks. and quotes ~ofs of the ministers who remarked in the course of sermon last Sunday: aThe city Is corpora tion and each eitissn Is stookholder..
 This is a tsfse but proper way of looking at 1t. "If." continues The Post, men have become fastened upon the city government who have sucked It's blood like leeehea whose Is the hiameg Does t not rest on the in- dividusi citissn who permitted these to be elected. and so long as the vot- CT is indifferent and delinquent so long must he expect to be poorly req resented" Docs not that apply to all government in this country. from the hishest to the lowest? Under our system each citizen is a component and responsible part of the govern nsnt under which he lives. whether national State cr municipal. The de- veiopments which are being aired in connection with Pittsburg are net new by any means. For years we have noticed charges and insinuations that graft pertneated almost every part of the city's affairs and management. but up to the present the criminals have generally managed to keep their deeds in the dark and escape detection and prosecution. Finally the point was arrived tt where evsn Pittsburg could no longer endorse existing con- diticAs ana something like . cata. ciysfi occurred.
 These afs the known facts. they re- veal discreditable condition of af- fairs but why should the citizens as ' body .endeavor to lay aii the blame on the exposed criminals? For years the people have sons on electing the same class of 0fiieisls, knowing them to De unworthy of trust. and doubt. less in some cases knowing that the men they were voting for were cor rupt. Now. instead of exhibiting in. dignation at the conduct of their of. iciAis each citisen has cause to cry '.s1eS cufpa'' and take shame to him. self for his part in putting criminals in office. If each citizen win consider himself stockhoider in the municipal corporation and feel that he must bear portion of the blame if' grating bribery and general corruption pre- vaiis. there will De certainty of bet ter conduct of public affairs.
 And what Is true of Pittsburg is true of every other government in a iand where the people elect their of- Acials. If all the citizens will take an active and conscientious interest in the selection of ali officials there will not be 90 much complaint of bad gov- ernment. If each citizen tries to place the responsibility on others for the election of unit men to ofice there will be little hope of Keeping our public affairs in the hands of those who are best atted and dualiaed. As a matter of fact. much of the complaint about bad laws. and about corrupt or in- competent officials comes from citizens who take no part in elections and do not put themselves to the trouble .Iof going to the polls. If every man will look on himself ss stockholder in the government under which he lives, and will feel that he will in part be responsible for corruption or mis- management there will be far less complaint of the conduct of public af- fairs. Pittsburg may well be taken as an object lesson.
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