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Show UiiiVLHnL 277 6TH iL4Ll VOL. VII -- liIC.TJi-'- l Lx ING COB?.. AVENUE LAKE-CITY, UTAH NOVEMIiEIt 21, 1951. NO. 3 News and Features of Interest to Residents of Davis County. LAYTON. DAVIS COUNTY. UTAH ThereAre 48 Million States in the Union ta This is a picture of the government of one of the 48 million states in the Union the mother and father of an American family. It is a reasonably new government for this is a young family. In some respects it is also a very weak government with little power beyond the limits of the house it occupies. Father, for example, would promptly get a ticket for parking in front of the fireplug just outside his own front door. But in other more important concerns it is a very strong government indeed, perhaps the strongest in the whole world, with enormous and staggering powers. For the policeman outside, the schoolhouse down the street, the governor in the capital, the Congress in Washington, the Army and Navy, the President, the mighty and hallowed Constitution, itself all of these exist and jiave their being only by this it is also a very familys expressed will and consent. And if this is a new government, to them all. fundamental and and basic old one; far older than any kingdom or republic It isnt very often that this family government acts directly upon its larger powers or concerns. And that is only right and proper. For this little family must first periodically justify its own existence and fulfil its own immense responsibilities. It must take a tiny, helpless, greedy, squalling, utterly ignorant savage and, with the help of the larger public governments it has set up. it must transform that savage into a mature citizen, capable of unselfishness and capable rational, also of loving God and his own fellow men, capable finally of participating in turn in the government of family, community and nation. That is the first responsibility of each of Americas 48 million families. The public bodies we call government exist . . . self-relia- self-sacrific- nt, e, first of all to afford every family the freedom and opportunity to do this job. Nevertheless though you cannot find it stated in the Constitution or in any law it is as members of a family that every man and woman participates most powerfully in the government of community, state and country. It is as fathers and mothers that they have their largest stake in Americas future. As Americans they know this. And when they think and vote as fathers and mothers they are generally right. . Men in public government school boards possibly excepted are too prone to overlook this tremendous fact. They often ignore the 48 million sovereign states in the Union the families of America. They address themselves to farmers, miners, workers, business men. These are artificial distinctions. The son of a farmer is not always himself a farmer. And Americans know this, too. It is an excellent thing that we think and vote first as members of families, as fathers and mothers. Were it not so we could be easily divided. ' As it is, no inept office holder or bad law can long withstand us . . . for we think clearly when we think in terms of our children. Nor finally need it ever be feared that in America the people some monstrous shadowy proletariat will take the law into its own hands. For we are a family people; no patriot need fear the American family. And no law need be taken into the American familys hands. The law has always resided there. In power, justice and perfect safety. |