The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-05-28
WINNING ESSAY Of
COUNTY HIGH FOR
MEDAL OF HERALD
STRONG DOCUMENT WAS THAT
WRITTEN BY MISS MARY LEE
cASKEY OF COLUMBIA.
GOOD CITIZENSHIP is The THINE
More Than Two Score Entered the
Lists for the Prize of this Paper
and the Victory of Young Lady
Was a Most Notable One.

In order to encourage popular in
terest In the great question of "goot
/! citizenship to early begin to insti
into the minds and hearts of tn,
youth of the country the duty ant
obligations which they owe to or
ganized society If they are to b.
good citizens, The Herald has fol
several years offered a gold media
for the best essay on the subject
Good Citizenship" written by 8
! pupil of the County High School
This year the medal was won by
Miss Mary Lou Caskey, one of the
Columbia girls. Her essay is one
of the best that has yet been written
on the subject since the contest was
first instituted. 1t gives evidence OF
thought, Of dilligent research and OF
care in preparation. The fact that
there were two score or more OF
contestants makes her victory all the
more notable.
The winning essay of Miss Caskey
follows:
A citizen is man who Is entitled
to full protection IN the exercises and
enjoyment of all rights, both public
and private, of his native or adopted
country.
81 A good citizen Is one who is loyal
and true to the laws, principles, and
institutions OF his country. for with
out this loyalty there can be no good
citizenship. Good citizenship gives
to us good craftsmanship, and good
statesmen are necessary to the wei
fare of our country.
What is good government? What
is its purpose? According to our
fore-fathers, as given in the pre-
amble of the Constitution, it is ITO
form more perfect union; establish
justice; insure domestic tranquility;
provide for the common defense;
promote the general welfare; and
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posteriry." These
are the purposes, or the objects of
good citizenship and good govern.
ment founded with these objects in
view Is not necessary evil but a
good, and, when righteousiy and just.
ly administered, becomes an unadul
terated good. Society and the gov.
eminent which grows out OF 1t are OF
Divine approval.
A good citizen, then, il the man
who is really devoted to the purposes
of good government and who aims to
carry out the great objects Of its
AS the frst quality Of government
is morals, so the first quality of good
is morality. There is
no true craftsmanship without this. |
A good citizen must be a man whose
personal principles are founded on
the same basis of justice and right
as is the government itself. He
must be a man whose ideas and OBJ
ects are In harmony with the great |
principles underlying government,
and, being must be turned to the i
out of these principles.
A man needs not only good inten-
ions, but he needs wisdom to en-
bile him to apply the good inten-
ions. He must be well versed in
history and in the philosophy which
,rows out of history. Hence the i'm.
,ortance of education along many
ines.
The trouble is that so many of our
o-called good citizens have visionary
IDEAS of their own, unsupported by
he philosophy Of history and en-
'hatically negatived by political
economy. With peculiar tenacity
hey cling to these pet ideas, and,
With vigor, attempt to palm them of
nthe people. They may be honest
n their convictions, but they lack
wisdom, which. next to morality and
is the principal thing.
1t is fortunate that the American
eople as a whole. are wise, and
hat their good citizenship is not to
e caught by the elaptrap of party;
nd that, as rule, theories untried
o not appeal 20 them strongly; and
hat they try everything by their
wn ideas Of justice, of right and of
,rong, before giving their adherence
D it. Here lies the safety of our
ountry in its good citizenship.
As one has said, the great truth
emains that human nature is equal