The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-23
A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.

Here Is = thought that is suitable alike for
tho day and tho occasion, since we are draw
Ing very close to tho end OF an unusually Inn
portant primary campaign. Membership In an
organization no more changes the nature OF n
man or woman than do the clothes they
wear. Keep that in mind In making your selec-
tion OF candidates worthy the honor you arc
about 10 hestow.
II ought not to be true but II IL true that
membership In a church. n society. club or
any organization OF any kind, neither adds to
nor detracts from the natural qualifications OF
n candidate to serve acccptably in the office he
Hsplres to- We nre not quite sure tho latter
part OF that statement s true. For close OBJ
servhtion dlscloses tho fact that the untrust-
worthy and the altogether impossible citizen no
sooner feels the stir Of political ambitions than
he sets about Joining everything that s Joinablc.
first OF all some respectable church.
Such types should bo stunned M one would
shun a pestlence II Opproclablc progress is to
be made towards the goal OF better government
and moro efficient, economical government
Civil socoty--that is the form government
takes--has nothing whatever to do with rollg-
ious or fraternal society Some people may not
want to accept that statement as truth, but re-
Election will force It's acceptance We elect
public officials not to positions within tho
church nor to positions within fratcrnal
ganlzations or society," but 70 positions OF trust
wherein the sole and only concern should be
the observance of political laws and the protec-
tion of the civil rights OF the population, ire
spective OF class, creed or color
Human experience has proven without
single exception that the man who is honest
as a man. who believes that all men have equal
civil rights and who has the courage TO stand
vigorously for his own conceptions OF what s
right and wrong instead OF being swerved by
so-cnlled popular demonstrations, Is best fitted
for public office. Such man may belong TO
church, or to many; to no lodge or to all Of
them: to no society or to numerous societies.
But In all events he draws distinct line OF
cleavage between his church and fraternal and
social attachments, and his duty as n public Of
fetal to the whole body polite.
The clownish individual who attempts to pass
az n cultured. arstocrntlc citizen by merely
adornIng his or her person In fine rolment and
practicng the mannersms OF the cultured.
falls no shorter OF the goal and appears no more
grotesquey absurd, than tho congenlal crook.
whose record is basphemous negntlon OF all
his prctenscs. that suddenly Joins with the
church element and the rcformers In order TO
gain such support and realize his ambition 70
attain n position OF trust and authority whore
he may ply his vicousness 10 advantage.
II you would raise the official standard. se-
lect for your support who have been I'm
private life distinguished for their fairness.
their open-mindedncss ana who are, above
everything else. known to be free OF hypocrisy,
II they practice the so-caed Vices OF a gentle
man. yet make no disgusting effort to hide
their petty delinquences do not he deferred:
they will be as open and above-board in their
official actions For ages the political cry has
been GOD give us men" God has given you
men, not, perhaps the perfect ideal, but in
comparative sense, acceptable men IN almost
every political contest you have had the oppor-
tunlty TO support such, The trouble has been
that you have been mlscd by sophlsts, re-
formers, hypocritcs and one-pank ngltators
Pick out the real men God has given. They
can be found.