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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1921)
fT" &"" "f -y ifli;!? viw-wwHP,9rr- ." The Commoner SEPTEMBER, 1921 .,' s 8 "'JfffC'' W5!."-3w-"' r'r t American Political Ideals (A speech delivered by Hon, Jno. Garland Pollard, LL. D, Former Attorney General of Vir ginia, on the Chautauqua platform, June, 1921.), Ladies and Gentlemen: t Prom sixteen hundred American platforms in forty-three states of the union, the speakers of the Radcliffe Chautauqua System "will this Bum mer address five million American citizens on the subject of American political ideals. I am proud to appear as one of the representatives of this great Chautauqua system, which not only Keeks the promotion of culture through high class entertainments, but which at the same time Is performing a highly patriotic service in call ing the attention of the people of this country to the task of lifting higher and yet higher, those political ideals which have made the United States the greatest nation on earth. When a man speaks of ideals, there are those who at once put him down as a dreamer blind to the actualities of life. But every, step in the political progress of man, from serfdom to sovereign' people has been but a triumph of an Ideal, and all future polity al progress must de pend on those who entertain ideals and are will ing to fight for them. On the other vhand, it must be admitted that along with our ideals must go a knowledge of the stubborn facts of the past and present. It is therefore not unworthy in this connection to refer to the material aspects of our political situation. s how politics Affects our material interests It is for this reason that in discussing" politi cal ideals I 'shall first seek to bring to your minds howx vitally politics, the science of gov ernment, affects your material interest at every Btage of your existence, how Close home the government comes to every individual,- how it sits at every hearthstone, a silent unob served visitor. Yes, the government's solicitude for the individual's welfare begins before he is born. While he is yet in his mother's womb, yea, even before- he has taken' form or shape, the law protects him by branding and punish ing as a felony any attempt to interfere with his coming' into the world. "When he is born, the fact of his- birth is made a permanent legal record. The government then -begins to look after the infant's food and seeks to maintain the purity of the supply through pure food and . inspection laws. It knows that the growing child must bo the special subject of its protec tion against contagious diseases, and the laws are made to prevent their spread. It then leads the child to the schoolroom and there takes charge pf his training. It follows him UP through the grades into the high school where it undertakes, to give direction to his life by providing him with manual training and com mercial courses. It also provides for him col leges .and universities where he may further pursue his studies or fit himself for the profes sions. Nor is this all. He can not become a lawyer, doctor, dentist, teacher or an under taker without standing an examination pre scribed by law. And then he steps out into life. But the government hasn't finished with him yet, yea, it has only started, for it large ly prescribes the conditions under which his young life shall be spent, whether ho shall be surrounded by the temptation of the bawdy house, the gambling den and the "speak-easy," And then when he is ready to take upon him self the real responsibilities of life and lay aside "single blessedness" he can't eyen get married except in the manner and form pre scribed by the government. And then when he comes under the dominion of his wife, surely then, it is time for the law to let him alone, but no, it decrees that he support that wife and sends him to jail if he doesn't. And then when the children come, he must support them too, and How? By furnishing them shelter, food and clothing, the prices of which are materially affected by tariff, and other taxes fixed by law.. And so the government follows the citizen all through his life, prescribing, the conditions un der which he shall conduct his business and how much of his earnings he must give up in taxes. Yes, it follows you down to your-dying day and after you are dead, it prescribes how long your body may be kept out of the ground, . Now is this the last of the law? It then takes charge of your estate and 'distributes : it out among the lawyers. The, government would hot" 'stop even bero, but would-go further 'and lfevy a tax on your happiness W misery iif the' next world, but fortunately -for'' you theifax collector never knows which way you have gone Other con cerns of life bogin with the cradle and ond with the grave, but not so with your govern ment. It reaches out for you before you are born and feeds on what you have left after you are dead and gone. And yet, and yet! few of us think we have time to give to politics, the science of government. FINANCIAL BURDENS IMPOSED BY GOV ERNMENT 'And now turning more specifically to the fi nancial burdens imposed on us by government, let me call your attention to the fact that in early days the government touched the individ ual but lightly and remotely. But now in the progress of time it has grown into a gigantic business machine gathering for its maintenance billions of dollars each year. Our governments, local, state and national, cost us approximately 7,000 millions a year which in the average is about one-eighth of the income of every man, woman and child in the Unit6d States. Or, to put it in another way, our govemfhents, local, state and national have become so huge as to absorb the total income of all the people for one-eighth of their time, or a month and a half in each year. This is an appalling fact which should make every citizen realize what his gov ernment means to him in dollars and cents, in good, hard cash! I do not mean to say that every citizen pays one-eighth of his income in taxes, but what I do mean is that the average citizen is burdened in about that proportion by taxes paid directly ,by him plus those indirect taxes -passed on to him by others and which are hid den away in the cost of everything he buys. These indirect taxes are no less burdensome than direct taxes, for there is but one source from which the government may derive its sus tenance and that is from the earnings of the people. The only difference is in the degree of consciousness of the burden. The indirect tax has proven less objectionable, for taxation lias been described as "the art of so picking the- goose,, as to get the greatest amount of feathers with the least amount of squealing." THE BURDENS OF MILITARISM And what a change the recent World War has wrought in our national finances! Thq last congress made total appropriations amounting to 5,G86 million, of which 93 per cent may be charged up to war; that to sav 'J 3 cents out of every dollar paid into the national treasury last year (after the war had ended) went for pen sion obligations and debts contracted for past wars and in maintaining the army and navy for possible future wars. And this proportion is destined to increase if we continue to hold aloof from disarmament agreements with other na tions, for if we attempt to play a lone hand, those will prevajl who are sure to insist on as big a navy on the Atlantic as the combined navies of Europe, and on the Pacific as largo a navy as that of Japan, And, think of it, my follow citizens, out of every dollar you pay Into the federal treasury only 6 cents goes to' the ordinary expenses of government, such as con . gress, courts, executive departments, public buildings, rivers, harbors, roads, and the like and only 1 cent out of every dollar is devoted to scientific and educational work. These facts in themselves are sufficient to -arouse the atten tion of every patriotic citizen. POLITICS AS AN INSTRUMENTALITY OF SERVICE Thus I have sought to show you how your governments affect your material welfare. Now let us turn to the consideration of political ideals, politics as an instrumentality of ser vice to others. American political ideals may he taken to refer to those principles of govern ment set out in the Declaration of Independence Sid the Constitution of the United States, but the ideals or which I shall speak are those in dividual Ideals of political duty which must pre vail in America; if we wish to approach Lin coln's standard of a government of the people, hv the people, for the people. Love of coun try and love of God, patriotism and religion are closely related. I can not conceive of a man who loves his God and hates his country. Ln times of peace our patriotism is measured by our interest in politics and the only yard stick bv which we may measure a man s re ligion is his interest in his fellow man. RELIGION AND POLITICS We are accustomed to think of our religion and our politics as things entirely separate and -Soar? 0$ 'conception of politics has sunk so low tliatVe think it sacrilege to speak .of poU 4?cs and Veligion in the: pame breath Politics is doomed to remain in the mire So long as thd average voter thinks that his religion has noth ing to do with his politics. Politics Is the science of govornmont. Government Is an ln strumentallty for tho welfare of mankind and religion is concorned with everything which af- fecta man's welfare. Our religion, not our sectarianism, should permeate and direct all of our activities noC only in church but also In state and in business. In all human rolatlons wo must apply ita pt'ln- ciplos to all of our overy-day dealings. To for-r bid the entrance of Christian principles into movements for the betterment of mankind simply because such movements have a political aspect, is to put a limit upon our rollgion and to say that it has nothing to do with thoso questions which most vitally affect tho welfaro of the human race. This does not moan a union of church and state. For when tho church teaches fidelity to tho dutios of citizen ship, she is no more Interfering with politics than she Is interfering with business, when she teaches us that we must be honest In our deal ings with our follow man. Let us call to mind some of tho activities which are today recognized as within the sphere of government and examine- them to see what relationship, if any, they bear to tho teachings of our religion. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE , One of tho first and oldest functions of tho government was tho establishment of justice between man and man, and after centuries of thought and study we have built up a systonvof jurisprudence, which, though constantly and slowly improving, does not yet accomplish tho ends for which it was constituted. Reform in the administration of justice Is today one of tho important concerns of internal government. Our courts while aiming at justice, are bound down by an antiquated procedure unfitted to tho needs of the day, and in tho trial of cases, the time of the courts and the lawj'ors Is largely con sumed in the discussion of questions of proced ure rather than in the merits of tho contro versy, and justice is not Infrequently sacrificed to form. Does our rellgio. concern itself In tho administration pf justice? What man can read his Bible without being impressed not only with our duty to do justice but also to seek tho establishment of justice, and in seeking after justice can the Christian ignore his govern ment, one of the chief agencies through which justice Is to be secured? Listen to the prophet Isaiah: "Cease to do evil! Learn to do right! SEEK JUSTICE! Rellovo the oppressed! SE CURE JUSTICE for the orphan and plead for the widow." Isa. 1: 10-17. ESTABLISHMENT OF PEACE Again our government was constituted to se cure peace at homo and with the nations of the earth. "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke 2:14-. This was .the sentiment which announced the coming of our Master and yet shall we His followers ignore the fact that one of the most powerful agencies for bringing about peace on earth Is our government? Bear in mind that what I am now trying to do, is to bring to your attention tho powerful influence of human government 'in attaining tlio objects towards which our religion teachos ,ua we must strive. EDUCATION Another great task that the government has undertaken is the education of our youth. So important didChristlan!ty think education to be, that the churches preceded the state in providing institutions of learning. If the advancement of education be a Christian duty, how can a Christian neglect his government, the principal agency through which the education of youth is to be attained? PUBLIC HEALTH Again, Idl modern times, we find the govern ment undertaking to be the guardian of public health. It is striving to stamp out the dread disease of tuberculosis, which is killing its hundreds of thousands, and likewise it is fight ing the spread of all diseases from which man kind Is suffering. Has our religion nothing to do with theso bodily ills? Stop and think to what extent Christ's short ministry on earth was taken up with healing the sick. And if Chris tianity Is concerned with the sufferings of the body, how can the Christian negl ct his gov ernment, which in the complexity of modern life' Is a most necessary agency in prei'enting the spread of disease and lessening the. pain and suffering of the human race. SOCIAL JUSTICE Again, the government is undertaking to se cure . social justice by regulating the hours of labor for men and women, pro hibiting child laboP and securing a minimum vv feilS . -" i. r:, sJ A : hi 1. ? J' Irtil n M , jMm