La Junta tribune., 1911-11-11
Personal
Responsibility
By W. NJ. Wiley

felt responsible that their children
should learn from them should also
be taugh, In the public school. The
state. BY Its effort TO help the
child. has tended to create In the pa
rent "A IessenIng feeling OF rcspOnsi-
bility. And while failing 10 do for
the child In the crowded school room
wha, can be done fer IL as an indi.
yidual. the character OF the parents
has been weakened Ia removing from
them the responsibility which would
have made them properly strong
The lack of personal responsible ~
is perhaps nowhere so apparent to
the casual observer as In the poli,'
Ical situation which confronis our
nation today. On every hand. the
people are demanding some change
from the old method OF conducting
our government becaus. OF the fail.
urs of our present method. An an.
alysls OF the situation brings us to
cases where our system has failed.
the failure has been due tn lack of
personal responsibility In the indi.
yidual voter. Not one single criti.
cism has been offered against repre-.
sentative government or against III"
power OF tn. political boss which
could exist II the voters had that
high ideal OF citizenship which would
be developed II each man realized that
4, Vas a matter OF personal respousi-
bility with him to ex.rcis. his risht
TO vote In such way that II called
upon he was In position to defend his
action as citizen and AS an indiyid.
ual Such a condition would put the
boss out OF existence and would put
In our legislatures and In consre ;
men OF whom the people could be-
proud. As matters go today. most Of
our intelligent voters look on election
day as holiday and use II for pic
mics automobile riding. cxcnrsions and
visiting friends: and IN. personal Re-
sponsibiilty which they should feel .
citizens. becsus. the polls are open
on tina, day. j. never considered. and
tn. polls ar. III. last place that the
sserag. Intelligent citizen thinks OF
visiting = aIfs
Tn. churches OF all denominations
are constantly asking In our magz.
ZINES and newspapers for an answer
TO the question. why is the church
neglected - The churchman too
frequently considers his announced
membership In church sufficient
In his attitude to religion. lie too
often forgets that In assuming To
carry the banner OF Christianity he
makes himself an example Of the ef.
feet which Christianity has upon
man He fails TO realize that the
world OF today estimates Chrstiani,y
from utilItraian standpoint. and de
mands 10 know To what extent the
blacksmith has been made q better
blacksmith by Christianity. and the
business .Au a better business man
aud the parent better parent Aud
when the churchman claims 10 be
f1llnwer of Jesus Christ and PROCESSES
the love which Christ taught. and
he fails TO be better business man
and fails To live. In his daily walk
and conversation. the philosophy
which Christ taught the wurll asks.
" Why Is Christianity"
II each churchmau realized hat his
church was Judged by tho people
With whom he came IN contact by
hts personal conduct. n grr o. change
would result II each aYowei Chris
uan realized that he was personally
responsible for the opinions ON the
subject OF Christianity In the minds
VI AH' P'"p' nv h'' hHFlug 'n'
course Of the day. the world would be
so filled with the philosophy OF love
which Jesus Christ taught and the
benefit OF that love would b" 40 cv.
idcnt that the churches would BE-
fill.d 10 overlooking.
And so our race. having been
brought by the help of p'rsofal re-.
ponsibility-the law OF the survival
OF the fittost-io Its present devei.
opmeni. shows u tendency to throw
away on. uf the corn-rstnncs OF Its
foundation. and It's progress must BE-
iesscned until the value Of the cor.
ncrStonc Is realized
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