The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-15
NOT IN POLITICS
Continued from Page One,


non-sectarian, Rotary IS distinctly So
cial and highly moral. And the line
of demarcation between that which is
social and that which is political is
often in the twilight zone so that it is
hard to distinguish.
Some economists draw a contrast
between society and government.
They say that society is produced by
our wants; government by our wick
edness; the former promotes our hap
piness positively by uniting our affec-
tons; the latter negatively, by re-
straining our vices; that the first is a
patron and the last a punisher and
they conclude that society in every
state is blessing while government
even in the best state, is a necessary
evil
But more enlightened view merges
eminent is no longer regarded as a
mere policeman to restrain our vices
but a partner of all our affairs, whose
duty it is to give every one of us a fair
chance in life. Or as Edmund Burke
so well said:
Full Partnership.
THE state ought not to be consid-
cred as nothing better than a partner
ship agreement in a trade of pepper
and coffee, calico or tobacco.
1T is a partnership in all science
a partnership in all art, a partnership
IN every virtue; and in all perfection"
This larger conception of the state
makes 1t a vast brotherhood organ
lied in behalf of the welfare of all 1t
Is not necessary evil but a neces-
sary good. AS policeman it restraints
our vices but as a patron it builds our
roads, deepens our harbors, educates
our children, houses our poor, erects
hospitals for our mental unfortunates
1t must aim to Danish ignorance and
oil
serve and develop all the resources of
the country TO the highest degree; to
make 1t easy for childhood to grow
into strong and noble manhood and
hard for vice to flourish or disease to
set its cloven foot upon the soil II
educates the lawyer and the farmer
the doctor and the artisan. 1t paves
our streets and inspects our foods. II
decides our quarrels and drains orr
swamps- 1t makes our laws and irri-
gates our deserts.
All Bound Together
If this be the end of government
then society can not draw back IFS
S SKI ana avoid responsibility. For
we are all bound together. We rise
or falI as one mass. Poverty, crime
and ignorance make our state a less
desirable place to live in therefore
society must Danish them. The
church will help but all do NOT be1one
assist but not many are included in
their ranks. Charitable, educational
and eleemosynary institutions give a
strong uplift out they are supported
by the contributions of a few. The
only organized force to which all be
long is the state and its hand is the
government Through it alone can we
all unite iii common effort. 1t takes
all of us to spell out the full mean
ing of progress.
Every Orga n ILL.,
Rotary, dedicated to high ideals, must
unite with all others through the one
common means, the government, to
make this the best, the cleanest, place
IN an the world in which to rear
| children and build a home. We can
not ourselves bear the whole burden.
We can not, in high esteem of our
own strength and virtue, hold our
selves about and work out perfection
even for ourselves to saw nothing of
all our fellows, but by uniting where
alone we can unite with all other good
citizens we can make our local gov
eminent efficient, clean and honest.
70 do less than this would be to
abandon our high professions. L
sometimes wonder whether even our
motto may not be a cloak for a re-
| fined selfishness. He profits most
who serves best" Service to others
is mans highest mission but if we
4 make profit its reward we degrade
1 the service. The purest reward for
! service is the joy of serving. The
widest service can be reversed
through the state because then you
serve all society. No true Rotarian
can sit idly by and see his city fall
into dishonest or incompetent hands.
Make Charity Unnecessary.
4 You may by your wealth establish
some great charity but it would be
better to enact some good law which
will make that charity unnecessary
You may select some bright boy of
/ INDECENT parents and educate him to
usefulness; but it would be better
through good government to wipe in
voluntary Indulgence from the homes
of your city and let the parents de-
ve1op their own children.
The best and greatest service is not
to establish some charity to care for
the unfortunate but to erect and
maintain such a local and national
government that every boy and girl
will be given the fullest freedom and