The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-09-13
HIS BROTHERS. KEEPER
(By John Leisk Tait.)
7 ut 1 . "

Gam | my brothers keeper"
Cain, crouching in the shadows of
elf-justifcation, originated it. Ev-
cry son of Adam, from Cain to you,
has echoed it.
But are you your brothers keeper?
Just take a square, honest-to-J ohm
look at the facts in the case before
you try to dismiss esponsibility.
What are the facts?
The world despises busybody-,
and properly. 1t is a very right SEN
timent which holds the average man
within the bounds of his own business
and prevents nosing among his neigh
boris private affairs. To that extent.
at least, no one will contend that one
is responsible for what happens to an
other. But then
There are other things than purely
private affairs, world of matters in
which your brothers interests are in
eXtricably bound up with your own
and with those of every other man,
woman and child on earth; and in
these matters, whether you will or
not, you are your brothers keeper and
If you are awake to your own inter
ests you are going to see to it that
your stewardship is an active one.
Twentieth century civilization is an
extremely complex tissue of interlock-
ing interests among all the people of
communities, cities, states, countries
and continents. No individual is so
great, in his personal influence, his be-
longings or his powers, as to be ide-
pendent of the rest; none so insight
ticant that he can be safely disregard
ed. If there is any sociological truth
which stands out today above all 9TH
ers, it is the tremendous fact of the
universal community of interest
among mankind all the world over. If
there is any lesson which he who runs
may read from the story of the World
War, it is this lesson. This is the
fundamental truth of Democracy
the stone upon which the plans and
schemes of Germany are going rapidly
to wreck. Therefore
When you are asked to affix your
signature to a subscription blank for
Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds, do not
try to shelter behind the question of
Cain. You are your brothers keeper.
First-it is your duty to keep him
fortified upon the field of battle with
everything that your money can buy
for him. He is shedding his blood,
sacrificing his time, risking his life be-
cause he is answering eyes" to this
question. Is your blood so yellow that
you can, or will, try to evade your al
most infinitely smaller sacrifice?
Second-it is your duty to see to it,
by every honorable means within your
power, that your other brother, the
fellow who, like yourself, has not been
called to the front. also lives up to his
responsibility, and contributes of his
means according to his ability, in buy
ing Fourth Liberty Loan Bonds.
No matter if, in burst of resent
ment at what he may regard as Of
ficiousness, he becomes snappy and
discourteous. He won't be resentful
long. There are other people who
will do their duty as you do yours,
and before he has time to grow very
indignant someone else will hit him
again in the same place. He'll forget
all about you in tuning at the other
fellow, and by the time this has been
repeated few times he will probably
wake up to the fact that he is in a
and begin to question wheth-
err all these "pests" are not right af-
ter all.
Whether you like it or not, you are
your brothers keeper.
Don't try to sidestep.
Get in the game.