The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-25
KANSAS COMMENT
THE MAN WHO sPoNGEs.

In every community there are few
men who never do anything for the
public life of the city. Parsons has a
Few such, just as every other town has.
There are men who profit by the enter
prise and Hberality of other men but
who fail to contribute anything to the
growth or prosperity of the city IL
is the same in public life as private
life. There are men, business men, in
Parsons whose property is increased In
value by public enterprises to which
they refuse to contribute or do any
thing in the way of securing except
possibly talk for it, and If their talk
cost them anything they would be
silent as the grave. Such men are not
of any value to any town and are bar
nacles upon the municipal and bust
ness life of the city.
Such men are sponges, profiting by
the enterprise and liberality of other
men, and the purchasing element OF
the city should treat them accordingly.
The men who do things for the town
by which all are benefited should be
the ones who are favored to the ex-
cluSion of those who are simply NUM-
cipal sponges. You can tell who they
are. There is no need of a black list.
Look at the subscription lists for pub
lie enterprises and you will find the
names of the men who do things Tor
| the city on those lists, and nose VINO
do not will be conspicuous by their
absence. This does not apply to those
who are not able to give TO such enter
prises, but the citizens know who those
are. Men who depend upon the pubic
for their business owe a duty to the
public which they can't shirk, and II
they attempt to shirk it they are en-
! titled to none of the benefits to be de-
rived from the public. OF course in a
general way, it is impossible to prevent
their being benefited, for what dement's
one citizen usually, in a public way,
benefits all. The man who has piece
of property is benefited by its increase
in value, and it is impossible to prevent
| it, even if he does nothing to help Sc
cure such public enterprises that go
toward the building of a prosperous
ltown.
These are facts that appeal to every
| citizen. The big, husky boy who lives
off his parents, contributing notnlng
toward his own or their support, ana
is fed and clothed at their expense, is
always an object of contempt ana
rightly so. In just the same measure
is man who prospers at the expense
of more generous and pubic spirited
citizens They are entitled to no con-
sideration from the public at large
when it comes to handing out It's
favors in the way lof trade.-Parsons
Sun.
LESS LAW-MORE ENFORCEMENT
One of the strong manifestations OF
growing intelligence in government il
given forth by Attorney General WICK
ersham who said recently: THE Amer.
can people are law ridden. The Ole
Populist philosopher, who thrived sev,
enteen years ago in Kansas. got hole
of the same idea when he said Ike
solved: That the American people ar
governed too much and we laughed a
him. AS matter of fact, the American
. people do not give the attention to Law
, obedience that they should give. GU gu
legislatures, both state and national
have loaded the statute books with s.
many laws governing so many offenses
real and imaginary. that the America
citizen has lost sight, not only OF Tn
, laws that have been passed, but also o
the great principle Of obedience to tn
law Probably no.eountry in the worl'
presents the spectacle which Americi
presents in all her communities, LOCAL
state and national of people openly dis
regarding the law. We need In all tn
? communities of the great United States
) less laws and more enforcement of tn
: laws which are essential to organizes
i. Observation-Disclosures Beacon.