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Show ! How to Have Good Government Ey KITH TAYLOR The responsibility for good government gov-ernment in a democracy rests upon all of us who are citizens that is, directly upon you and me. We are the ones who make the choice. We are free people who select our own candidates. If they are bad, we have no alibis, for we chose them. If they are good, we can take the credit. The choice of our leaders is our responsibility. We must not elect a mediocre man because we like him, or because he feels entitled to the job. We have done that too often in the past, at too high a price. We must select our candidates candi-dates not from the bias or party, but on the basis of past record, ability and character. But we must not only select. We must be willing to act. The express ex-press obligation of all men is to exercise their right of franchise. Furthermore, we must be willing to serve. If able men say they are "too feusy" to run for local offices they have only themselves to blame if they find nimcompoops the incumbants at whom they rail because of their inefficiency. 'Popular government can only be maintained if the people are able to govern themselves. This is a republic consecrated to the ideals of democracy, not a master state. Any attempt of the state to ' rule would mean the death of the nation. na-tion. The men of our choice must, like the prophets of old, be capable of inspirational leadership in time of peace and in time of crisis alike. "We must", according to the words of the praper book, "make choice of wise legislators and faith ful councilors, who, soberly, justly, just-ly, and with a godly spirit, may enact things just and wise end merciful for the beneitt of all people." They must be men whom we can trust so that wc can confidently con-fidently follow them. Tnere has been too much pleading and not enough leading in government. Great is the need for leaders. Great is the need for men of vision who can face facts with courage, see things realistically, state truths honestly, accept responsibility re-sponsibility humbly and never lose sight of the unalterable ideal upon which this nation was built a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. . ''O Thou, who didst touch the rophets' lips with fire, send us Thy prophets for our dreadful days." |