Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1921-11-24
SURE CURE FOR NATIONS ILLS

ments. They have but little hope oi
success by an open breach Of the
peace. Driven to cover and cowed to
a sullen observance of the more OBJ.
vious forms of law and order, they
Work to bring about their ends by
more devious routes. These hardy
partisans are present in force at the
polls. They are never too busy to
cast their ballots. They are never
too busy to lavish time and effort for
the candidate who will best serve
their needs. They are clamorously
in line when the rewards are being
distributed.
Unfair Attacks Made.
The responsibility of the individ-
ual does not, however, cease with the
casting of his ballot. nor does It be-
gin there. 1t begins first in develop
ment of proper attitude toward our
public institutions and toward our
public representatives. Office holders
i'm the United State have borne such
attack and misrepresentation and
have become the target of such des-
tructive bombardment that it is al
most impossible to get the right kind
of men to list themselves for Office
or to accept public appointment. Po-
Htical campaigns though forced TO
disinfection In recent years, are yet
too frequently periervid competit-
ions in personal villifcation. A man
of ideals offering himself for public
Office must be unhesitant to with
stand Misrepresentation; to have his
motives questioned; to have the
most intimate details of his personal
and private life stripped and distort-
ed to satisfy the passion of that
breed of politician to whom nothing
Is clean.
AS individuals we can force whole
some conditions In American life BY
flatly refusing to associate ourselves
with political followings in whuch
such damnably debased tactics ere
When the successful candidate has
attained public office, he then ceases
to be, in the minds of many of US, an
honorable, patriotic citizen. Years
of honest life among us are discount
ed and we begin to look upon him,
too often, with suspicion. Whatever
he does appears tinged with impro-
per consideration, done not wholly
for the public good, And despite
all, the man in public life today who
loes not spend each waking hour in
sincere and unselfish endeavor to
serve his city, his state and his
country is the exception to the rule.
The greater proportion of mistakes
made by men in public Office are er-
'ors of heart and not of head.
How many public servants, having
given the best that was in them to
he Office which they held, have been
'eturned to their neighbors broken in
lealth, sick at heart, misunderstood,
heir honesty smirched; left to finish
heir barren days refecting on the
Grid ingratitude Of the public.
Ttand by Officials.
Individually we can correct this
ondition by standing steadfastly by
he officials who we have elected to
ublic office. Doubtless we elected
hem becaue we had faith in their
alignment. Doubtless we selected
hem from among their fellows be-
ause of their fitness for the task
nd because of their particular quail
es as American citizens. We can
OF expect human being to be right
II of the time. We can expect him
} be humanity honest and sincere and
fallible.
America Is secure against assaults
ON without. If that majestic struc-
ire which has been reared by dint
so much suffering and sacrifice
,er crumbles it will be but the re-
lit Of the careless indifference OF
70 individual American into whose
,eping has come this greatest OF all
'sponsibilities.