The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-26
For Good of the
 Community

IN the QocdQonU. years O1 CIl0 hOIlldH ICpuOliS \ the successive dictators, who ruled by play upon the baser side of citizenship, brought shlps of grain from the provinces and distributed the contents gratis to the people,
 That act marked the beginning of the end. The empire that was to glorify the once robust re- public was resplendent for awhile, but bearded barbarians clad in skins and brandishlng clubs were to smash the Roman legions and feast Tn the halls of Roman nobles
 The kind of giving that these dctators prac- ticed emasculated and corrupted. Old Cato, last of ftherealy honest ones shielded ln disgust at oO years. The people, who were taught to live on gifts, eventually sold the imperial crown to the ; highest bidder and grew so to despise it that once it was conferred in derision on potter.
 In the middle ages the barons once or twice year opened wide their gates to let Tn the serts They stuffed them with meat and filled them with wine and ale They allowed them to have their plays in which the nobles on that one day might be ridiculed After the sottish feast the serfs put on their iron collars again and took up their slavish tasks once more.
 That was the barons conception of giving. In parts of Europe up to the World war peasants have stood by the wayside to trample one an other for the small coin thrown from passing carriages by their overlords or by generous travellers.
 That kind of giving, while it may relieve for the moment, adds nothing to citizenship. 1t lifts up pnothing. Its not creative. It is not construc- tive. 1t tends to loss of sef-respect by him who accepts. The manful man wishes to earn what he gets
 Birmingham gives as wisely as freely In the beginning of the year the people voted a tax for a state highway and one for county highway system. They voted school, library, auditorium and city hall bonds. They voted money out of their pockets for the entire people; for that which shall count permanently for Birmingham and Jefferson after they are gone
 The people of Birmingham gave sufficient money for the establishment of two homes for girls. They did not give first to one wayward or unfortunate girl and then another without counting whether the money would serve its purpose or no, but they gave the money to those who they knew would make of these homes per- manent places for shelter and care of young Womanhood. That also was for the entire com munity and for permanency of good effect. <
 They gave Mercy Home little more than Mercy Home asked for. They knew that every penny of that money would be expended in the name of better citizenship; in the salvage for good citizenship of that which would otherwise count for bad and expensive citizenship.
 They the Community Sing that all the people moht he happy together Sunday afternoons and enjoy relaxation f
 g them 10 pc better workers and more robust citizens during the
 The people of Alabama voted tax burdens on thems
 the schools have appealed Their pocket books have been open whenever the good of future citizenship was involved
 Andrew Carnegie will be called blessed for generations to because ms gifts were to the millions enabling them to qualify