The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1918-05-04
LOYALTY BASIS OF
ALL CIVILIZATION
Every Citizen Owes Moral ana
! Legal Obligation to His
Government.
CANE m COMMUNITY lice
! People Have Duty to Their Home
! Town Which 10 No Less Bind.
Ino Because II 10 Not
! Fixed by Law.

fcopyr,xht, 1917, Western Newspaper Union)
LOYALTY is the foundation upon
which the whole structure Of civiliZa-
ton rests. Loyalty to ones country,
loyalty to ones state, loyalty to ones
city, loyalty to ones business asso-
ciates, loyalty to ones friends 10y
atty is essential to the ordinary prog
iress of the world. Without it the world
must be chaos.
There would be no stable govern
ment in the world were 1t not for the
loyalty Of the people to their gov
eminent. There would be no success
full business enterprise on the face OF
the globe were 1t not for the loyalty
of the men and women who are con-
.nected with 1t. No church could ex-
list for month were 1t not for the
loyalty of it's members. The sacred
ness of the home would be myth
were it not for the loyalty Of the
members of the family group.
The loyalty Of people to its gov
eminent Is based partly upon senti-
ment and partly upon the recognition
Of an obligation that people owes
to its government. A people that has
the benefit of good government owes
duty to that government. Those who
do not recognize this duty and per-
form 1t voluntarily are compelled by
law to do so. The man or woman who
Is protected by the government In the
pursuit Of life and happiness, must con-
tribute in money and service toward
the support OF the government. The
man or woman who, under the prOtec'
ton of his government which pre-
serves law and order, Is able to &C
cumulate property must pay taxes on
that property to help maintain the gov
eminent which has protected him OF
her. In time Of war the government
has the right to cali upon its citizens
to take up arms in its defense.
Loyalty Moral Obligation.
In governmental affairs these things
are regulated by law, and the man
who receives the benefit Of orderly
government is required to fulfill the OBJ
legation which that entails, but In the
ordinary affairs Of life, loyalty Is
moral rather than legal obligation
There are laws which prevent a mar
from stealing from his employer OIL
his business associates. but there Il
no law that requires him to be loya
to them. The success Of business
institution. however, depends more
upon the loyalty OF its employees thar
upon the laws which prevent then
from stealing its money. Likewise thu
stability Of government depend:
more upon the loyalty Of its people
| than upon the laws which compel then
| to fulfill their obligation to the gov
eminent.
It Is equally true that the prosperit!
and growth Of every individual com
munity Is dependent upon the loyalt.
| Of the people who live In it. Ever!
citizen owes an obligation to his com
munity, and the obligation Is mora
as well as a legal one. The good citi
zen pays his taxes cheerfully ant
willingly. He serves upon the jurie'
which administer the laws of the com
munity. He fulfills every legal obi
| cation that Is imposed upon him b.
| his government, but there Is a mora
| obligation which Is Of still greater Inn
| pOrtance to the community. Thi
moral obligation consists in dOinl
/ hot 60 In Z.
promote the prosperity and happiness
Of his community. The man who Il
enabled to make his living In any com
munity Is under a moral obligation t,
spend his money In such a way as I,
help his community.
Prosperity Worth Protecting.
Anything worth having is worth pro
tecting. and il the prosperity of
community Is worth anything to tn
people living In 1t 1t is worth protect
Ing. II the chance for a man to earl
a good living, to live well, to give hi
children good education, is WORT
/, anything, 1t Is worth protecting.
There is just one way to protec
the prosperity OF community, ant
that Is to keep the community from
being drained Of Its cash-workinl
capital. The only way to do that Il
| for the people Of the community Il
keep their money at home. Ever.
time the citizen Of community send
money away from home to mail or
der house instead Of spending 1t II
his home stores he Is disloyal to hi
community. It is disloyalty to the mer
chants only indirectly. 1t is disloyalt.
to the community Of which the mer
chants are only small but yer.
important part.
This Is the moral obligation tina
every citizen owes to his community
just as the payment Of taxes and tn
loyal support Of his government ar
his legal obligations. Disloyalty o
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