Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-25
THE NEW MEANING
GOVERNMENT.
Bv WOODROW WILSON.

ceptiOn or the 1unctlons VI So'eAH
ment. It Is not merely that democratic
government is based. as the old phrase
used to 60, on the consent Of the gov
erned," but that 1t is based upon the
participation in government OF all
classes and interests; and whenever
this conception can be realized, when
ever government is disentangled from
its connection with especial interests
and made responsive to genuine pub
lie opinion, throughout the length and
breadth Of the great country, 1t at
once gets new ideals and responds to
new impulses. 1t then becomes an In
strument of civilization and of hu-
manity.
America has so prospered, her en-
ergy has been so great, and her
achievement hitherto so easy that she
has not until our day felt the real diff
ficulty and exigency Of government.
She has not had time, apparently
amidst her various and expanding in
dustries, to think of making her gov
ernment economical in its administra-
ton and efficient at every point, as her
own business enterprises are.
Every dollar that the government
spends ought to be spent as carefully
as IL the resources Of the country were
limited. Every dollar Of expenditure
ought to mean something done or pro-
vided for the people. Waste is also
weakness. Inefficiency brings confu-
sion.
It is part of the new meaning of
government, therefore, that It's re-
sources are not to be put at the dis
posal Of a governing class or OF any
limited set Of governing influences,
but that those who exercise its au-
thority must keep house" for the
whole people; must use the money
raised by taxes as If it were expended
in trust to produce the best possible
results in the ordering and stimula-
ton of our life.
It is an interesting circumstance
that government is becoming less and
less a business for politicians; that
minds and energies Of every kind are
turning towards it as part Of the gen.
eral enterprise Of life. The reason we
want our government to be free from
every kind Of private or narrow con-
troll is that we want to have it see
more things than it would see If 1t
served only a few. Those who con-
duct 1t ought to have the vision Of the
nation itself-ought to be sensitive to
impulses from every quarter. The
statesman should sit down with the
philanthropist. with the engineer, with
the forest expert, with the student of
soils and agricultural methods, with
masters Of technical and vocational
education as we'll as with financiers
and lawyers and manufacturers and
merchants and those whose interests
have usually been at the center Of pol
icy. Though he cannot himself keep
the life of the nation as whole In his
mind, he can at least make sure that
he is taking counsel with those who
know, that his sympathies may be
open upon every side, and that he may
seek to serve civilization and human
ity, not a party or any selfish pro-
gramme.
The Common Interest is Becoming
Clearer.
These changes in the business and
character of government are not TAX
ing place because Of any special
knowledge Of a few men, the leaders
of parties and Of public thought. They
are, on the contrary, coming from out
the general body Of the nation itself.
The government is becoming more
and more a sensitive, registering in
strument Public opinion has accu-
mulated tremendous force in our day,
not only, but it shows infinite richness
and variety. Men Of many occupa-
tions, Of many interests. of many as
pirations, contribute to it. Neighbor-
hood meetings, city assemblies, state
conventions, interstate gatherings. ma
tional conventions, are held by people
of every sort interested in every kind
Of occupation. Debate stimulates each
profession, each trade, each class OF
manufacturers. every union Of labor
ers, every association Of agents, and
the cumulative effect upon opinion
and upon affairs is incalculable.
Men are everywhere studying their
own interests, not only from their spe-
cial individual points of view, but also
in conference with men following sim
iliar callings all over the country.
The final result of it all is that the
common interest is becoming more
and more clear-that it is easier to
see things as a whole If you will but
resort to the men who have studied
them as a whole.
Why We are Eager to Restore the
Ideals of our Government.
Government, therefore, in the Unit
ed States may be said to be entering
upon a new day. That is the reason
we are so impatient at some Of the old
influences which abound in 1t; that is
the reason we are so eager to restore
it's ideals and to broaden its point of
view, ana lI1dl IS also lue IedSOi why
we wish to make it absolutely honest,
not only, but thoroughly efficient
A vast deal remains to be done in
the mere line of efficiency. Indeed,
there has been very little serious ef-
fort even yet in the direction of max
ing the government Of the United
States as efficient as a successful bus
mess organization would be. For gov
ernment is an instrument, not an OBJ
ject in itself. We ought to be inter-
ested in it only as it expresses the pur-
pose Of the people Of the country.
Duty of the Government Regarding
Pure Food.
Take a special topic. Consider the
duty of the government regarding
pure food. The new aspect Of gov
ernment is very we'll illustrated in the
care that government takes when it is
justly conducted, to see to it that the
food the people eat is pure. Pure
food laws whether of the state or of