The Washington herald., 1916-12-04
The Ideal Citizen
BY ORIsON SWEET MARDEN,

, Immediately after the recent Pres
! idential election, young Mrs. Vincent
Astor gave a remarkable dinner party
at the Astor family mansion in Fifth
avenue, New York City.
The remarkable thing about this
dinner party was that it bore no re-
semblance whatever to the usual So
cial functions of the -Four Hun
dred."
The guests, while noteworthy, were
not the typical society men and wom-
en-, a good part of whose time is
given up to pleasure seeking. There
were no famous musicians there to
entertain them. There were no
dances to wind up the evening. In
short, 1t was a dinner with a serious
purpose-no less than the launching
OF definite program for making good
Americans out of the poor ignorant
immigrants who come to America.
Real Americanism was a favorite
topic with campaign orators for
months before the election. Much of
1t, no doubt, was mere high sounding
talk, but Mrs. Astor and her guests
got down to real work. As one news
| paper report said: "The after-dinner
speeches were not coruscations of wit
or strings of anecdotes. They dealt
with ideas, facts and figures"
Among the guests were some OF
the most prominent business men in
the country, leading educators, rail-
road presidents, doctors, lawyers,
bankers, social workers, men and
women interested in the uplift OF
American citizenship. Their talk was
all of making better Americans more
quickly out of the human material
from Europe.
This is a glorious work-to make
good citizens. What America needs
what every. country needs more than
anything else is good citizens, which
is but another way Of saying good
men.
What the world needs above all
else is men Of character; men whose
word Is their bond; men who put
character above wealth, and Who are
willing to sacrifice private interests
for the public good.
We want men of courage, who are
not towards in any part of their ma
ture; men who have the courage to
do their duty in silence and obscurity,
if need be, while others about them
win wealth and notoriety by neg
lecting sacred obligations; men who
are not ashamed or afraid to stand
for the truth when it is unpopular
who can say "No" with emphasis
although all the rest of the world say
"Yes."
This new age demands men who
will not have one brand of honesty
for business purposes, and another for
private life. 1t calls for merchants
who will not offer for sale English
woolens" manufactured in American
mills, or "lrish linens" made in New
York; for journalists who will not at
the behest of their chief write scurri-
lous, scandalous articles which they
know to be false; for lawyers who
will not persuade clients to bring suits
merely to squeeze fees out of them,
when they know very we'll that they
have no chance of winning; for ply
sicians who will not pretend to know
the nature of a disease when they
do not, or experiment on patients
with drugs with which they are not
familiar; for clergynen who can hear
louder call than that of public ap-
plause, large salary, or fashionable
church; for statesmen, not tricky pol
iticians, men who will not pack eau
cuses, pull wires, or be influenced in
their policy by personal motives.
We want young men who can stand
erect and independent while others
bow and fawn and cringe for place
and power; young men who will be
true to their highest ideals in spite
of the sneers and laughter of their
companions;
Men who can stand before
demagogue
And scorn his treacherous flat
teries without winking;"
straightforwardness, not shrewdness,
sharpness, cunning. and long-headed-
ness are the best qualities for win
ming real success.
The world needs large-hearted
people who do not look at every
proposition from the point of view
of What is there in it for mt? ?"-
magnanimous souls who do not look
upon everybody they meet for the
possible use they may be to them;
men who are true to their friends
through good report and evil report,
in adversely as we'll as in prosperity;
men who are true to themselves and
to their God.
The cry of every age is for such
men-ideal citizens.
The Arab proverb that the man who