Inheritance. CHAPTER XXVII DUTIES OF THE CITIZEN It is not the purpose to go into a scientific discussion of heredity and the differences of opinion in regard to it. Science has clearly shown that health tendencies are inherited, as well as sick tendencies and disease; and that those of health, if cultivated, soon get the mastery; also, it has clearly shown that environment means much more to life than hereditary tendencies. An anæmic body, placed amid proper surroundings with nutritious food and plenty of pure air, may soon work out its transformation, while the most robust body may soon succumb to disease in an unhealthful locality, and for want of proper care. The greatest inheritance that can come to any human being is to be born with a sound, healthy body and mind, of clean, vigorous parents; the second essential is to have a mother who recognizes the importance of keeping the child well and giving it good rearing. A good home exists primarily for the welfare of the child, and the promotion of a better general welfare in the community for the present and future generations. This means that it is a good citizen's bounden duty to educate his children, in which efforts the state stands ready, with the open door of the free public school, to second his desires and ambitions. Every child thus educated, as a citizen of a community, state, and nation, owes to parents for good rearing, and to the state for opportunities afforded, a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid except in the service of good citizenship for better future conservation of health and greater efficiency. Support the Government. Every community to-day is demanding that the coming citizen shall know more of political affairs know how to promote the good, and thwart and check the evil. To do this, the purpose and mechanism of our government, local, state, and national, must be better understood. The public school, college, university, platform, and daily press give ample opportunity for study of the science of government, its weakness and strength. Good citizenship calls upon every individual to support the government patriotically in time of peace by listing property fairly for taxation and paying taxes; by doing jury duty when called upon; by filling an office, when elected, with the greatest ability and honesty; by payment of debts, so that honor and honesty may prevail; by serving the nation faithfully and to the best of his ability in time of war; by seeing that law is enforced and that wrongs are righted. If laws are wrong and injustice is done, there are legal ways to amend laws and secure justice, and any community may be depended upon to do its duty in this respect if the wrongs are properly presented. Voting. In our government every citizen is a partner, and the business is well conducted only when every partner is intelligent, wide-awake, and active. Each partner is responsible, if results are bad and the community or state is misgoverned, to the degree that he supports bad principles, and helps choose a bad set of directors as officials or agents to carry into effect the law and the public will. Casting a ballot is a sacred privilege, and with it goes a sanction, if concurred in by a majority, that cer tain principles and certain officials shall prevail. A good citizen should so prize the ballot that he will attend caucuses and primaries whenever held, and see to it that good men only are nominated. If the good citizens do not take part in the primaries, they should not complain of the ticket nominated by bosses and the questionable element in the community. The good citizen must keep up with the trend of the times, must be radical enough to be progressive, but not so radical as to be irrational. By keeping in touch with the world of thought, he sees what is needed to make a better community for him and his neighbors, and it ill becomes one to let things drift and do nothing. One of the greatest sources of evil in our country lies in the fact that so many of our otherwise good citizens care so little about their own and their neighbors' welfare that they do not vote. How can a partnership be well managed and successful if many of the best partners pay no attention to the business and allow it to be conducted by inferior hands? Ideals of Success. No man ever succeeded who depended upon blind chance. Ideals and dreams of to-day, if they are rational, and have thought behind them, become realities to-morrow. These ideals are useful if they image and interpret what the public really needs in its onward, progressive march. To have proper ideals, and cleanliness, physical and mental, is an absolute necessity for efficiency in service and the highest good. Ideals, to be worth anything, must contemplate labor, sacrifice, and duty, with a sense of realization that all labor that really contributes to the social dividend and assets of usefulness, is honorable. High ideals, coupled with earnest labor, will make any individual or community prosperous and successful. LIBRARY REFERENCES Allen: Civics and Health, 328-356. Blackmar: Elements of Sociology, 269–274; 292–309. Forman: Advanced Civics, 95-105. Garner: Government in the United States, ch. XX. Kaye: Readings in Civil Government, 95–100; 111-128. Wilcox: The American City, 402-416. |