Arizona republican., 1918-02-27
Our Nominal Self Government

About the beginning of the year when statistical figures are made up look back upon the accom- plishments and events of the last year, and then dismiss them from our minds without taking thought for improvement or the achievement of more sats- factory results the next year. Among such figures as we have lately had before are those relating to crime. We have been unpleasantly amazed at the showing but we are taking steps to avoid similar amazement next year.
 This attitude is which the Chicago Tribune lately treated under the editorial caption Slack Citizenship not the sacSness of the police the courts but the slackness of the community-every community. Says the Tribune:
 Policemen and courts are slack because we, the people are slack in citizenship, and shall never get any machinery of law enforcement that will work efficiently until ready to be efficient citi zens We are still in the American frame of mind, which is so alert to immediate individual interests vague and slack collective interests. We are very busy very effective in private business. but have energy when it comes to public busi ness. As result the men put in office, without caring whether they fit to fill office slack. The whole machinery of government is slack"
 We take pride in the fiction that have self government when as a matter of fact do not exercise it and have exercised it. A few years ago there swept over the country demand for more power of self-government that is, greater reser- vation to the people of the powers which inhere in them and under the head of popular rule reserved additional powers. But have used them. We took them of the hands of regular delegates and left them lying around for any Tom Dick and Harry to pick up and for whatever purpose good or bad he had in mind. Nobody held responsible for any use of them that might be made.
 No more people attended the elections took interest in what going Instead of governing ourselves under these newly reserved powers let Tom, Dick and Harry govern We clamor for democracy and insist that shall be extended to the whole world. while neglect to avail ourselves of the privileges of dersocracy.
 Every election develops that alarmingly large number of us not citizens at all for the that we do exercise citizenship. We might well be under absolutsm; in fact might better be, for then would not be under the rule of crude. raw Toms, scheming Dicks and Harrys. We have, it is true the power to rule ourselves take the power out the hands of self-appointed rulers whom call public servants and put them into the of carefully chosen competent public servants but we do not do that. So the people living under absoutism have the instrument of revolution and sometimes they it.
 In concluding its editorial the Tribune remarks:
 Education in citizenship is the essential of eff cient self government There is chance democ- racy working unless it can be established and the basis of it must be the evolution of strong sense of our individual responsibility as integral part of a great whole Universal service teaching obedience and fealty will lay better citizenship than any the republic has before devised This consideration second only that of national de- fcnse, and during long periods of peace will take the first place."