Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-29

- you, lei MN DC Sou'
/ lant"
In these words of the Mas
tes mind OF the human race. ma 'h
text of the simple remarks which shai
be made upon the topic assigned to mi
by the chairman of this association
THE TRUE IDEAL.
Tho ideal public servant Is he VINO
rcnders the greatest social service LII
our day, In the view. at least. OF any
who have claims to be termed modern
philosophers, mans greatness Is ho'
measured by how much in lands or
houses, or furniture, OF official POSI-
ton. the world has given him. but By
how much he Is able, not alone to give
to, but do for, his fellows. However
1t may be with public servants in some
countries, the true ideal OF the repup-
lie is that of service; and any Office Is
great in which there is to be found d
great and effective worker for the pup
lie good 1t is sometimes lightly SAID
that we have only few great otnccs
within our bestowal, but the fact is
that We have as many great offices as
we have really great men and women
filling them If, therefore. our offices.
or any OF them, are not important, this
can be only because the incumbent
cannot or will not rise to his oppor-
tunitics,
ALL OFFICES ARE GREAT.
All Offices in the republic. then, are
great And it Is the purpose of these
observations to point out why some ofil-
ccs may seem to be small.
MEN, NOT MACHINES.
In electing an official. the people sup
pose that they are elccting u man, not
Il Nero automaton. 1t is the person
ality and the human qualities of the
candidate. and not his mere ability as
a clerk. stenographer. bookkecper. or
copylst, that the people are really vot-
Ing for when thoy honor any one with
the responsibility of a public Office.
And they are disappointed whenever
such n person so conducts himself in
Office as to perform merely his routine
work of adding figures or recording
facts in his office ledger. The people
expect. and they have the right TO re-
quire. the whole man-all his time.
energy, and ability. when they elect
him to office For adding up figures
there is the adding machine; for max
ing copies, the typist, the linotype. the
mimeograph; and for other work of
like nature. there are expert bookkcep-
ers, stenographers. abstracters. and
office help.
LEADERSHIP DEMANDED.
The person elected should be one who
is capable of leadership He should
show and introduce improvements; he
should educate the public; he should
bear torch. No perfunctory routine
of office duty meets the situation. We
need men, we need women, jealous, ac-
tive personalities with Ideas and ideals.
From any person elected to place
OF public trust the public has the right
to expect ii large degree of consecra-
ton TO his office. He must give his
ideas, his motives. his conscience. in a
word himself TO the position to which
he has been chosen. Otherwise he Is
not an official. but only an employe, 1t
may be said that we are clcctlng quite
a few to places that are not of the
dignity To require more than routine
work. but l challenge the assertion. II
we are doing any such thing, let US
find II out and dcSst from such a
practise. Let the real official choose
his clerks and copylsts: but any one
elected to any Office within the gift of
the electors in the smallest city OF
ward of the republic must give himself
devotedly to the work for which he Is
chosen.
DEVOTION TO THE work.
take up all of a mans or a woman's
time, since men must live, and private
interests should not be ruined or even
neglected by those whom we choose to
official station. But l do say the Off
cial should give his constituents the
best there is In him; he must not slight
the public welfare: his time, his tai
cnts. and in a sense his life are called
for by his duty as an official. No man
Il 1. r.. t..
verted to the idea of municipal reform,
or unless he fully recognizes how far
from the standard of common fairness
to the people and of decency to the
requirements of sanitation and clean
illness, and of real progress I'm general
Is every one OF our cities as at pres-
cnt conducted.
LIFE AND PURPOSE.
/ took occasion recently To observe
TO some of my associate teachers who
were looking round for brilliant law
yer to preside over the State Teachers
association. that 1t is not words and
phrases that the teachers need; VIC
want no mans words: II we are In
need of words and speeches. we can
hire phonograph. 1t Is a mans ex-
pcrience-that much of his life, heart
and soul-that we want. not his argu-
ments, however polished or approved
they may be. SO with all our officials
IT Is life. soul. purpose. that wo de-
mand and havo the right to. expect of
them. And IL any person is thus un-
willing TO give himself-to give life. [
had almost said-to the cause of public
progress. then | am prepared to MAIN
tain that the people OF the republic
have no real need of him In any office
whatever. Of course. the best way in
which to help or to lead others. the
S1lTGGf ff.st 4, ..ft n,
is to begin with himself When his
own motives cannot be impugned.
when his time and intention are sim
ply and solely those which he thinks
WIZ advance the public welfare. then
can he be an effective rcfor1ner and n
cal leader. In other words, we de-
nand of our officials In the public serv
ce. not merely words and acts. but
life. And II. as a matter OF history. II
can be shown that municipal reform
and civic progress are slow in coming.
then 1t must follow. as the night the