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Show T1IK SUI'I'KKSSIO.V Ol' CRIME A national Crime Comission has heen organized, for the purpose of studying the causes and remedies for lawlessness. The groth of crime In the United States is a phenomenon a-larming a-larming to every citizen thoughtful of the futnre of the nation. To find the cause and cure for this growing menace Is a task worthy of the thought thou-ght of every patriotic AMERICAN. Perhapes the greatest contrbuting cause of crime Is the preaching of the doctrine of personal Irresponsibility, for much of which people who call themselves social reformers are responsible. re-sponsible. It is being taught and believed be-lieved that the individuals are creature crea-ture of environment rather than a free will agent: that society la to blame for the falure of the individual that it owes him a living; that if he uoes not get it ne nas a grievance against the social and political order. The present period in our history Is marked by a decline of serious thought, serious reading and seriously serious-ly considered action. It is easy enough en-ough to arouse people to evils and abuses in government; it is a more difficult matter to Inculcate in the citizen a proper sense of his own duty and responsibility to society and government. Millions of those who consider themselves good citizens citi-zens are not setting a good example In law observance when the law runs counter to thier own convenience or appitite. It is necessary as Lincoln said, for every citizen to resolve that he will neither break the law in the slightest particular nor countenance disrespect for law by others. That applies to laws in which the individual individ-ual believes as well as to laws which may not meet his favor. We have too many people railing against government, against the law against the courts and against society soci-ety in general, who themselves are as much resposible for existing evils as anyone else and who do nothing that would cost any time or effort to Improve conditions. The role of the critic, the "knoker," the distinctive distinc-tive heaver, is an easy one, and it is adopted by many too lazy, too indifferent, indif-ferent, too unpatriotic, to make the slightest sacrifice in behalf of the things in which they claim to be interested. If most of those who thus habitually rail against things as they are, would take a good look inside themselves, they would have a good cause to wonuei inaL society is no worse than it is. There is yet to be recorded, however, the first case of such a critic who finds fault with himself, or takes upon himself any share of responsibility for whatever may be wrong. We need in America a revival of genuine patriotism patriotism which means not merly the waving of the flag and the repeating of patriotic pat-riotic ritual - but intelligent, militant mil-itant activity by word and deed in behalf of fuller utilization of the privileges and opportunities of American Amer-ican citizenship. We have a government govern-ment here that is constantly being reconstructed by the people through the periodical choosing of their agents in authority. Its faults are the reflected faults of the people who go to make up our citizenship. We can have clean, honest, efficient, energetic ener-getic government If enough people are willing to take the trouble to get it; we can minimize dishonesty and inefficiency in public life by being more discriminating in our choice of officials; and we can have absolutely honest officialism when honesty is the dominating motive of our citizeiship and our people cease to be too lazy and indifferent to do their duty as responsible units of the national population. And crime will be greatly minimized minim-ized when the people themselves sufficiently begin to hate crime, sufficiently back up the agencies engaged in suppressing it, and sufficiently suf-ficiently keep themselves from any participation in or toleration of any degree of lawlessness. In other words the whole matter gets back to the people themselves. We need there a revival of patriotism which, as Lincoln said, would make reBpect for law "the political religion of the nation." |