Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-09-17
(By W. NJ. Wiley)


OF the business man is to produce a
stable government. Without this foun.
dation, all OF the work. management.
brains and capital invested in his bust
ness is in jeopardy. This proposition
is so self-evident it would seem use
less to argue the point. And yet the
fact Is that a large per cent of the
business men of the United States
neglect their duties as citizens, end be
have as though they think the con.
duct of government affairs is a mat.
ter so contemplate as to be beneath
their serious notice. This habit Of
thought OF the business man has
grown so strong that il any man who
has demonstrated his ability OF max
ing success of his own business were
asked to be a candidate for some great
office, he would treat the request as
a joke
George Washington seemed to have
but one ambition, and that was, to
live the life of country gentleman
on his estate. He left this life, much
to the regret of himself and Mrs.
Washington. to devote himself to the
affairs OF the country, because be
realized that he could not live the
life of a country gentleman until a
stable government had been organized
as foundation TO his business.
Consider Mexico. for example Could
any man be induced to conduct a busi-
ness in Mexico until that government
had reached stability? And the same
can be said OF Russia.
Once the business man realizes that
government is the foundation of bust.
ness. he will demand that our schools
turn out citizens who are educated to
vote with a knowledge OF the import.
ance and necessity of good govern
ment.
Practically nothing is being done to
train our youth in citizenship or edu.
cate lHeH III government.
In this country the citizen is a sJy-
ereign. Upon him is placed all the au.
thority and responsibility of making a
success of government. Like the abso.
lutte ruler, his voice is the final law.
The rller of a monarchy is carefully
trained in government. The voter in
this country. charged with the same
responsibility, needs the same train.
ing.
Questions of the most vital import.
ance as TO the conduct OF our govern
ment are constantly presented to the
voter upon which he is asked to eXer
else his sovereignty, and II is a crying
wrong that the state and the people
OF the state have not been teaching
citizenship so that the sovereign car
answer the questions intelligently will
! his vote.
After the trials and tribulations o
the war of the revolution, with III
great cost in blood and treasure. il Il
curious that our forefathers did no
! then institute an educational system
which would send the voter to tn
polls capable of intelligently exercis
ing his sovereignty to properly cor
duct the government Of our country
II Is strange that the men who ha
| .nN - ,Iot n tho nnnla y,
tion of independence and the Const
tuition OF the United States, did nj
realize that the foundation of the f
ture OF our government rested upo
the votes cast by men who were trail
cd in citizenship and the fundame,
tails Of government.
II is impossible now to educate III
voter so that he can answer the que
tions which are daily presented
him in this war with certainty thf
he knows whereof he speaks, but II
not too late to take this lesson
ourselves now. and begin to train OF
children 80 that in the near futur
they will be ready, when they spea
of our government, to know why the
believe in it: what they hope OF II. an
how Il shall conduct itself to rene'
the most credit and profit upon III
voter.
Consider for a moment how ridic
lous II is that government, one OF n
deepest and most complex studies
the world. is left TO be learned by u
voter, who IA the fnal authority in u
;. operation Of government, by luck mn
= by chance.
E Suppose n person stood outside
n polling place in the United STATE
4 and asked every man who approach'
d to deposit his ballot, the different
;. between the functions of a legislat'
+. and those OF a congressman; the d
d ference between the functions OF u
J. Justice Of the peace and the justi'
OF the supreme court. What percer
y age would define the various function
Of those onices correctly. and "
man does not know the function