The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-02-19
THE CITIZENS
RESPONSIBILITY
ROTARY WEEK CAMPAIGN CAR
RIES IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO
AMERICAN PUBLIC.

AMGRlCAN UDLlOs
Washington, D. c., February 19-
AS the sick man, discouraged, be-
comes the easy prey of the quack
so the citizen, discontented, becomes
the ready mark of the demagogue
Don't let your discomfort lead you tt
blindly follow the first man who pro
misses a panacea. The quack and the
'demagogue alike always follow one
method. They paint sympathetically
your sufferings, which are real, il
order to win your confidence in theil
remedy, which is generally chimeri-
cal"
The Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives, Frederick H. Gillett OF
Massachusetts, makes this statement
In the course of brief message tC
the people of the United States today
through the Rotary clubs of the
country, on the subject of the indi-
vidual citizens responsibility for leg
islation.
In twenty-seven countries of the
world ninety-thousand Rotarians are
this week carrying on a gigantic cam
paign to set before the people of the
communities in which they live the
responsibilities of the individual citi-
zen The campaign is incident to the
annual observance of the founding
of the first Rotary club in Chicago,
February %, 1905, and is designed to
be a demonstration of the sort of
community service Rotary has been
organized to do.
In each country where the cam
paign is in progress messages on the
responsibility of the citizen for the
various branches of the government
are being relayed to the citizens of
those countries from the heads of the
various branches Of government. The
messages do not concern political par
ties or controversial questions. In
the United State the messages follow
the outlines of representative govern
ment laid down in the constitution.
President Harding has sent out the
message on the Individual citizens
responsibility for the execution of the
laws of the country through the pro-
per choosing of executives and back
ing them up in their efforts to ad-
minister the duties of their offices.
The Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives speaks on the individual
citizens responsibility for legislation
and the Attorney General of the
United States, Mr.. Daugherty, is the
author of the message on the indl-
yidual citizens responsibility to the
courts.
The full text of Speaker Gillett's
message follows:
"The individual citizens RESPONSE
bility for legislation is mainly indi-
rect We are not democracy; we
are a republic. We elect representa-
tiyes to Iegislate for us. And the first
duty and responsibility of the citizen
towards legislation is to select well
his representative, to discriminate
wisely between those candidates VINO
seek to flatter him by pandering to
his temporary whims, and those who
seek to serve him by honest and IN
telligent independence.
"The other chief responsibility of
the citizen is to keep informed on
questions of legislation. That every
citizen should master every question |
that will vex our national and state
legislatures no one will claim. But
if YOU live up to yor responsibility
Won will not only scrutinlze the
character and ability of every cand1-
date. but you will inform yourselves
on the vital principles at issue in
each election.
"Yet in drawing your conclusions
YOU should not be too assured. IN
This enormous country of ours with
IFS sectional differences, its racial pre-
iudices. and it's class jealousies an
unbiased and all embracing vision is
difficult. Don't assume that all legls-
ation which seems to favor your
;peciaI interest must be right, or must
he permanently beneficial even to
you. Because you run an automobile
1ont think every scheme for good
.oads is wise. Because you believe
is of prime Importance
lon't conclude that every measure
which it's friends suggest is judicious.
rrv to look on all sides. When keenly ,
.onscious that wrongs exist it is ma {
ural to support the first plausible
,roject for righting them. But as the ,
lick man discouraged becomes the i
asy prey of the quack, so the citizen t
iscontented becomes the ready mark
f the demagogue. Don't let your
iscontent lead you to follow bllndly {
he first man who promises pana- {
ca. The quack and the demagogue c
like always follow one method. They G
aint sympathetically your sufferlngs
yhich are real, in order to win your n
onfidence in their remedy which is
enerally chimerical.
Therefore, your responsibility as
n indididual requires you to select
rel1 YOUR representative, and to study e
ne problems of legislation. Some Q
mes in perplexity you must leave to c
our representative unhampered y
ldgment questions which you elected Z 7
i'm to settle Choose him wisely, [
1yise him freely, and then trust hlm g
ntil misled." I
FARMER WILL