The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-12-28
b BASIS.

Among the bad results which flow from the militia system of this country,
with its voluntary enlistment, is that it tends toward the creation of a con-
ceentnn ST the militia as q separate class in the community whose activities
are not related to ordinary civil Ifeand Of the expedtions and encanpnents
and other activities of the militia as proceedings having no bearing OF the
tme from the standards Of conduct which are usually thought necessary in
civil life. The fact that these tendencies are not carried to their logical result
in more casest than are actually to be found in evidence Of the inherent good
judgementa and balanced character It both oMcesa and enlisted men The ten
dencv is there. lust the same, and it, is inseparable from our system. @
"a boy does not think of celebrating when he goes to school, When a man
pays his taxes he does not regard the act as a event which calls for any de-
nary. They IL part IF the days work, They are. the things which one isl
expected to do, which he must do, and which everybody does. The perfor-
nance Of these acts IS necessary TO the progress and security Of the nation
He who performs them faithfully is performing an important public service
But he is performing . service Of the exact lnd performed by every one Of.
his fellows, hence there is nothing in it to distinguish him from them.
IN some subway service in the armed forces % oness country ought to be.
vice may be demanded of him And in that traInfngsandsin that service, II
actual service be required he should stand . = q basis y ven and exact equal
iy with every other youth in the land. That would deprive military service
of some Of it's glamor. 1T would also deprive it OF some Of the tendencies
which tend toward the destruction of character-GrandF Forks Herald.
"First pae III the ranks Of governmental progress should be accorded to
that state which shows the largest percentage Of actual voting population
The only sovereignty We hayesin this country, and the only sovereignty we
should ever have, IL The sovereignty of citizenship. Though it isa sovereignty
bought by the blood Of patriots unsurpassed in seksacrifce, tisa sovereignty
abdicated by 4 shanfuly large proportion Of our people.
according tothe ssnsns q asAO. " g e possible yMang po llng N o1 ap-
proximatIy 25OOOOOO, but the actual vote cast in 1912 was but 81 100000
Ten million people, or4O per cent Of the whole number, held their citizenship
% lightly that they did not take the trouble to vote # S6s
MaPossession ~ pdwer carries with III corresponding degree of responsibility
and dutv. Failure to accept the responsibility and perform the duty, should
result ii reyocationsof the power. Just as q monarch who refuses osexercise
his governing power should be overthrownl 80 the sovereign citizen who fails
Is perform his part ii popular government should be shorn of his power.
aIInder present provisions Of our Federal Constitution, this is a problem
resting with the states. But tis none the less an important problem. His
d sufficient answer 10 nay that Is q man will not take enough interest to cast
Hi ballot, the country iii better off without his participation in the afarsof
government. Those who participate in government will come TO feel the ~
AsponGbiiy. A@8@@@& SEM# @aM# 8M@ M#&M#
aEyerry practical ehortA should ~ made. through agitation, education, and
s# s9AARatt God s114spss, skheaid bs dsftllahehhsed "A unworthy e share g. ~
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