The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-07-21

dividual is progressive, and gov
eminent is bad in proportion as
the average morality is low and
lethargic. vr,--- good citizens at
tend to their civic duties, their civic
energy is represented in good Off
Gals. When they are careless their
slothfulness is represented by cor
rupt officials.
Character of Government.
"The character of government de-
ponds entirely upon the will of
the majority of it's voters. If each
individual were to give his atten-
ton to the public business as his
own, which it is after all, every
good official would have behind him
the aggressive morality of his con-
stituents, and this would confront
every bad official and say to him
mo further shalt thou CO.
ITO arouse good citizens and make
them realize their civic duties is a
matter of supreme Importance. In a
monarchy all authority is in the
crown and delegated to those be-
meath. In republic, such as ours,
the people are sovereign.
Each Man Sovereign.
each man is one seventy-five mil
lionth of a sovereign. 1t may seem
small, but it marks the distinction
between the citizen and the sub
ject.
Some of you may think if the
government were left entirely to you,
public evils would not exist. But
you have a portion of the RESPONSE
bility now If you are unfaithful
in part, would you be more faithful
with all? He that is faithless with
a portion cannot be trusted with the
whole If each citizen were to leave
the remedying of public wrongs to
someone else nothing would be ac-
complished.
1.-The welfare of the city or state
should always be the first and high
est consideration. Some of you may
belong to this party-some may be-
long to that party, but all should
be patriots. Be patriots before you
are anything else. The people-the
average voter, you and /, are re-
sponsible for the future of this gov
eminent. If the American republic
is to survive it must be saved by
the efforts of the patriotic citizens
who want nothing for themselves
but the advantages that accrue from
the general public veal. If the pub
lie learn to appreciate this, learn
to know the dangers that threaten
our future, and learn the strength
that rests with the voters, the flu
ture of this government is assured.
Not an AIarmist.
81 am not an alarmist, and / do
not believe that the United States
of America will cease to exist
as a republic today nor tomorrow.
We have lasted for one hundred
and thirty-four years. long time
compared with the average period
of one mans public activity but
short in the history of nations. Ven
ice had a republican form of gov
eminent for one thousand years;
Carthage endured as republic for
seven hundred years, and Athens
lasted nine years, though there were
intermissions during that time. Flo
renee was a republic for three hun
dred years and Rome for five hun
bred. These governments were once
great factors in civilization, and
their citizens probably thought they
would last forever, that nothing
could overthrow them. We are
likely to harbor similar ideas, and
it is possible that they will prove
| to be wrong.
The conditions that caused the
downfall of these old republics, now
almost forgotten, were the same
conditions that will cause the down.
fall of the American republic if it
is not to endure. The dangers lie
in the hearts of the people.
Indifference Of Voters.
"Too many are Indifferent, and
this Indifference of voters is the
greatest menace to a republican
form of government. Arouse the
voters to an understanding of the
danger, convince them that they
are personally and directly concern
ed, get them moving once and they
are invincible. But while most PEG
pie are honest, they are inactively
$50, while the vicious minority are
perniciously active. 1t is not enough
to be merely honest, the good citi
zen should be aggressive in his op
position to graft and corruption
Law breakers have nothing to feal
from passive opposition, but they
must yield to active and aggressive
fighters. We need more fighters
in the army of peace. We mus
fight for everything that is worth
having, we must fight against every
thing bad. The farmer must no
only be personally opposed To-
weeds, but he must cut them down
and make an active warfare agains
them, or his crops will be ruined
In government affairs the same rela
tons exist between good and evi
as between the useful grain tina