The Mena weekly star., 1921-12-01
By LEMUEL BoLLEs.

If America (the United otatesl ever goes crumbling away to politi- cal and economic ruin the fault will lie not from the enemies without but the citizens within, not guilty of crime commission but guilty of as grave a fault, commission of the very duty that gave them their freedom.
 If all the blood and tears, all the great effort and unselfish love and de- votion that has gone into the erection of the United States is to be wasted the fault will lie at the door of you and your neighbor and history in the centuries to come will point pitiless finger at you and yours and declare that the greatest advance in human government the world ever knew was lost because you and yours failed to do your duty, simple, easy, duty that should be joy and a matter of un- told pride
 America today stands in the path of a destructive force. Not whirlwind to tear and rend but a slow, creeping, insidious relentless force that attacks the very heart of your country, drains the strength and power and hopes and dreams of their being and will never pause in it's blight until you and yours have been aroused.
 Today in the United States, where popular government has reached its highest development, large portion of our citizens have abandoned the effort to exercise any of their political rights. So, in increased measure the urgent need exists for bringing home to every individual his own responsi- bility for self-assertion in political life.
 In war the qualified man who fails to take arms in defense of his country becomes abhorrent in the eyes of his decent fellows. The obligation to take arms at such time is no greater than the obligation of peace in the life of any good citizen. If the neces- sity arises, he renders this service in the discharge of his civic duties. But this is not true at all. Every country has its Bergdoll and every age it's slackers. They occupy an unenviable place in public opinion; their children will live to blush at mention of their names.
 But with the political slackers-- many of them are respected citizens. We find them in every community; the business man who is too busy to register; the working man who will not take time from his tasks to cast his ballot; the housewife who thinks that woman's place IS in the home; the society woman who cannot be bothered; the average of Tom, Dick and Harry who don't take enough in- terest in the welfare of their cena- munities to keep informed of the time and place of the elections. All of these constitute an alarming propor- tion of our adult citizenry who have a right to exercise a share in the di- rection of our political destinies, but ~de not.
 There is not an ill in American life today which cannot be cured, and cured promptly. if each voter will in- form himself as to the issues with the means at his immediate disposal. There is not weakness in our social structure which cannot be boistered if individually and conscientiously we try to discharge the obligations and exercise the privileges granted Us by the Constitution of the United States.
 Political bosses, machine rule and graft are impossible in that eommun- ity where the citizens are awaks to their responsibilities; where they measure up Go the obligation resting upon the individual. In every com munity there is that element, always in che minority but bound together by selfish interests, thriving upon corruption of public and special priv ieges, the very existence Of which is a malicious menace to democratic in- stitutions. In the lowest classes of society there is 2 dangerous criminal element, ever erouched to spring at the throat of decent society and to fatten itself from the results of riot, turmoil and destruction.
 Well organized governments are constantly alert to curb these ele- ments. They have but little hope of success by an open breach of the peace. Driven to cover and cowed to a sullen observance of the more ob- 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 servs their needs. They are clamorously in line