The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-11
PARTY LINES BAD
IN CITY AFFAIRS
Question for Voters to Decide
Is Merit, Declares DR.. Calisch
in Sermon.

There should be no Democratic
and Republican parties in civic poli
tics,' declared DIR. Edward n. CalIsch
speaking III Beth Ahabah Temple las,
hisht on The Citizen and the state"
National issues" he said ''huvu no
bearing on municipal issues. ana ma
tional political parties are out of
place In city affairs. What the
country needs IS dilrcrcn, sets of
political parties for the nation. Tho
state and the city.
In the election of city officials tho
great appeal Is made on party lines
Now party organization is very
necessary adjunct of our forms OF
government. but il was never intend
eo that II should become Il political
telch' When man says he has
voted the Democratic or Republican
ticket ever since he was able to vote
and never scratched it. II may he a
sign of party loyalty. bu, it is more
sign of intellectual weakness one
of tho best signs OF our modern noIi
tical situation is tho fact that party
lines arc beginning To disintegrato
and that men are looking to the in
diNidual and not to the political
fetch"
After ereviewinE in detail tho re.
sponsihiiity that the citizen owes to
municipalities, DR. Calisch vigorous.
~ dashed the man who is entitled TO
vote. but who refuses to exercise
his franchise. Ho also alluded To ,hc
awakening Of civic responsibility that
has Just touched Richmond
Furthermore there .hIht TO ho a
penalty attached for failure to vote"
he said. III you don't pay Your water
bill in tine. they add a penalty. and If
You then neglect II, they cut the water
off. believe some sort of punishment
should be devised for tho citizen who
does not ray tho civic debt Of his
electoral obligation. Tho duty IN vote
is heavier moral responsibility than
that OF paying the water tax. The Of
Z tlceholder is no better than the voter
makes him tho stream can rise no
higher than its source"
Personal prejudice and personal Xix
ing should not play a part in the cleo
tion of an official. DR. Calisch declared
~ man should be chosen for his ability
solely
What is the relation of the citizen
to tho Statc?" he asked. rs ne then
the creature or the Greater? Tho state
is made up of the units OF it's indivi-
dual citizens. but the sum total that
makes up the state in it's turn gives
an added power and value to the In
dividual.
but the trouble with the avera re
citizen is that he sees only one side
of 1t. lie Is looking for what he can
get, rather than for what he can give
He looks for the government TO help
him. rather than how hc can HELM the
government When things go wrong,
he Is loud in his criticism OF the work
of public officials But the question
is. How much thought or time did he
give to the thing or 10 the methods
of the officials before the work was
completed?
Must CIenr It's Mime.
Sin III. t,rcnty-iirst chapter of Deu-
ieronomy there is significant passage
concerning the responsibilities Of cities
! The elders Of the city near which q.
slain body had been found were held
| accountable for it. and they had TO
20 through a solemn ceremony. In
which they declared their innocence
and Guiltlessncss of blame Now when
the city's honor Is slain. or its inter
csts done TO death how many Of the
elders of the city can in all sincerity
wash their hands in Innocence and
say: Our eyes have not seen II. and
our hands have not shed this blood
why have their eyes not seen 1t?
Simply because they have been 50 busy
attending TO their own private affairs
that they have not given heed Ia the
citys interests as they should Also
because many Of thc-l have had "A
, hand. more or less directly or indi-
rectlv in the doing of thu very things
! that they decrv.
! The average man thinks no. IS 4
| loyal. law obeyinG and ordinancc-abid-
ing citizen. So he is. as long the
laws and the ordinances 80 not press
too closely upou Isis privat business
| or pursuits. Laws are made for the
other fellow TO obey. Who are the
violators Of traffic regulations. or
building requirements. or sidewalk
! incumrbrance ordinances. or OF speed
limit or tho other many caactments
that. whilc they do not deal with the
Ten Comma ndments. set arc necc/sary
for civic eXistenc, and Wholesome for
general happiness and safety?"