The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-12-31
WHO IS THE
COMMON MAN?
BY SPENCER MILLER, JR.

The Common Man is the doer of the
common task, the drawer of the water.
the newer of wood, the tiller Of the
field, the worker in the mine, mill and
workshop. His vocation is the worlds
work; his dedication is the worlds
service. He is the product of our COM
mon school, subject of our common
law, citizen of our commonwealth, and
participant of our common worship.
He is both the producer of the ma
tion's goods and the chief consumer of
the good he produces. His welfare is
entwined with the general welfare.
Thus it cannot be well with any ma
ton unless it is well with the Common
Man.
Everywhere the world over the
common people are on the march; !;
their feet are set on the road to free
dom. Theirs is a quest for the light.
They will not be denied. They will
not be led back into slavery and dark
ness as the ruthless and fanatic die
tators seek to lead them in this world
crisis. They are determined to make
this peoples war for the benefit OF
all peoples. More than at any previous
time in human history the future is
up to the common people.
If the coming century is to be the
century of the Common Man, it is well
for all those who teach or lead in our
day to begin by recognizing the fact.
We must learn to organize the world
for brotherhood to act in cOOpera-
ton as members of a family; to learn
to love one another. There is no other
basis of collective security.
The only hope of resolving the ten
sions between the people of different
races, between the appeals of ma
tiOnalism and universalism, between
the Imperialism of advanced nations
and backward people, between CAPT
talist enterprise and collectivism, and
between the secular and spiritual in
depreciation of life is by a new ap
prOach to man. Man is at once the
measurer of and the measure of the
J.. universe.
The emphasis upon the Century OF
tine Common Man which some have
used INTERCHANGEABLE with the Amer
lean Century" makes manifest the
moral responsibility OF America fol
world leadership. Perhaps" sale
Vice President Wallace, ''it will bt
, Americas opportunity to suggest the
freedoms by which the Common Maj
must live"
America could have no finer destiny
Into the Declaration of independence
was incorporated a bold declaration
of faith: I'VE hold these truths to bt
: self-evfdent that all men are created
/ equal" BY that Declaration we re
jected for all time the theory of ;
Master Race. Here we have no Her
renvolk, no kings by Divine Right, bu
the revolutionary political doctrine
that all men are created equal. Since
[ that day America has become th
l Never is America so true to her spiri
e as when she becomes a sanctuary t,
l. the oppressed and healer of the Ma
: tiOns
In the days of convalescence afte
I the war is over there will be manifold
: tasks in the ministry of healing. Their
D will be, first of all, the reconstructed
a of ravaged countries, which will i'll
Z clude the providing of food, raw nj,
z terials, and other prime necessities. Il
| the second place, there will be tn
/ task of policing civil disorder. Final
y ly, there will be the need of restoring
p economic collapse in conquered terri
tories with tools and equipment.
God grant us the social imagination
the disciplined intelligence, the ca
pacity for cooperative action, tn
moral steadfastness, and the ChriStia
humility for this greatest of all huma
!, adventures. And if it be Gods vii
Il make this the Century of the Commo
e Man,