The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-11-19
TWO KINDS OF REVEALS
NEEDED

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religion and of patriotism.
We need a revival of religion be-
cause it furnishes the only code of
ethics that has ever proved of any
practical account. We have overpro-
duction of about everything in this
country but character. Washington
truly said that religion is the. nursery
of character, and character is the &C.
ment which holds our civilization to-
gether.
1t is one of the grave penalties of
period of luxury and ease that it de-
stroys the tendency to serious
thought. For that lack of serious
thought we are paying the price to-
day. Whenever things go wrong I'M
der a representative form of govern
ment it must be charged up to the
selfshness and Indifference of the
people whose responsibility it is to
create and renew this government.
About half of our citizens do not even
take the trouble to vote, and if they
were not pounded into action by po-
litical organizations the PERCENTAGE
would be less than half that. II
Every complaint against corrup-
ton, incompetency, greed and graft
in government is an indictment of the
citizenship which tolerates and en-
dures and even supports the sort of
officialism under which these abuses
develop. If only those who have
done their full duty as citizens, the
sovereigns of republic, were to COM
plain about these evils, the noise they
make would be inconsiderable.
The complaint that the oncoming
generation is less serious and more
Indifferent than the old, has some
basis, but not so much as is generally
believed. The character of the young
is formed by the mature and the old,
not so much by precept as by exam
pie.
1t was commonly taught and be-
lieved during our more prosperous
years as a nation that "getting by
with the least possible effort was an
evidence of cleverness. Hard work
came to be regarded as at best nee
essahy evil, and any sort of hardship
for the individual something to be re-
sented in cutlery against the social
and economic system under which
such thing was possible.
But work is not a curse, but a
blessing. 1t is essential to the de-
velopment not only of the body, but
the mind. 1t liberates, develops and
inspires men. The unused hand with
ers. The unused brain decays. The
unused heart hardens. With use all
these organs are developed and are
strengthened.
The best school Americans ever at
tended was the harsh college of the
wilderness, which presented obstacles
to men which made it necessary for
them to toll and think and struggle.
If youth of today is less serious
minded, less purposeful, less courag-
eous, less independent than the youth
, of a generation ago it is because it
: has, on the whole, been its misfortune
/ to have things too easy. Few men
: either think or work unless they are
{ driven to it by a necessity which
! seems malevolent, but is actually be-
neficent. The present period of depres-
sion will make more men than II
! breaks; will make them in character
though it break them in fortune, and
thereby give them a usefulness and
thoughtfulness and happiness that is
, of more value than material wealth.
! We are told that the oncoming gen.
GRAFTON takes no interest in religion
! because it is too little related to life.
r Religion is something that no one
does anyone else any particular per-
, sonal favor by studying or accepting
, Religion deals with the origin and
: destiny of men beyond the horizon
{ behind and in front, to which their
t eyes can reach, and within those hori-
; IONS helps work out the problem of