That means you have got to take part in it _all the time_.
Occasional spasms of violent civic virtue amount to little in their
permanent results. They only scare bad men for a day or two. Their
very ardor soon burns them out. The citizen has got to do more than
that--he has got to take an every-day-and-every-week interest in our
civic life. If he does not, our brave and beautiful experiment in
self-government will surely fail and we shall be ruled not even by a
trained and skilful tyrant, but by a series of coarse and corrupt
oligarchies.
In ancient Israel a certain proportion of the year's produce was given
to the Temple. In like manner, if popular government means anything to
you, you have got to give up a certain portion of your time and money
to _being a part_ of this popular government.
Just this is the most important matter in our whole National life.
Recently there died the greatest master of practical politics America
has produced. Firmly he had kept his steel hand upon his state for
thirty years. A dozen times were mighty efforts made to break his
over-lordship. Each time his resourcefulness, audacity, and genius
confounded his enemies. But finally that undefeated conqueror, Death,
took this old veteran captive.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338