The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-05
Pay the Price of Liberty.


birth was celebrated by the great
words, known and accepted as truth
throughout an ever-increasing part
of the earth:
TO secure these rights govern
ments are instituted among men.
deriving their. just powers from
the consent of the governed"
That more than declaration of
single nations independence. that
declaration of universal rights, re-
ceives lip service in this great nation
which gave it utterance and by force
of arms and through loss of blood
wrote 1t in indestructible letters
across the skies. 1t receives lip SER
vice. Only when its application is
seriously threatened or when some
overt violation of the rights of the
government Is attempted does 1T re-
ceive more. Only then do the peo-
pie rise and reassert their unalter-
able and infiexible purpose to make
1t live forever.
But 1t is not In force of arms, nor
yet in corruption of the ballot box,
that the menace alone lies. There
Is a more subtle danger. Public
indifference sometimes makes 1t ap-
pear that the words and sentiment
are forgot-sometimes dims the
glory of the light they shed. Gov
ernments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed"
But what if the governed sleep?
What If eternal vigilance is consid-
fo~ hi ch -
erty?
1t seems as If 1t is so considered
sometimes, for sometimes the gov
erned. who can make their wishes
known and effective only through
the ballot box, do not trouble to go
to the ballot box. Sometimes many,
even when they go, do not exercise
the right of suffrage with true and
careful regard for their own well
fare. Voting not at all or voting
as sheep, the voters, the governed,
without whose consent no just pow
ers of government exist, do not give
consent, are not even considered.
The few who exercise eternal vigil
lance, not that liberty may endure,
but that special privilege may be
gained. control the election. Con-
trolling, they elect those whom they
Will, and those they will to elect
are those who will do something"
for them
Supine and Indifferent. the great
mass of voters go their way, not
corrupt, but corrupted, and seem
ingly content. One day an e2cep-
tionally daring act in the interest
of the few and against the good of
the many Is performed. Then comes
a howl. Those who have slept
awake and find that. having refused
to pay the price of liberty. they
have it not. There is an upheaval,
and things assume their normal
equilibrium again. Good men. men
regardful Of the interests and rights
Of the community. are put in office,
and all is well-for a time.
But only for a time. The COM
munity turns over and goes to sleep
again, and soon the old crowd is
hack into power.
1t has happened in Richmond, and
Vt will happen again, unless the peo-
pie awake and keep awake. The
governed in Richmond have the
right to have their wishes consid-
cred. 1t is so writ In the Declara-
ton of Independence, and the writ
ing has been made good through the
flow of the blood OF patriots. 1t
can be kept good, not sporadically,
not sometimes, but all the time. if
the people will. They have only
10 register, watch their servants and
vote.
Eternal vigilance--and action at
the ballot box-is the price the peo-
pie must pay for a government de-
irving its "just powers from the
consent of the governed"
Make the election of July Is re-
suit as needed for the good of the
many, rather than for the good of
the privilege-seeking few.