Stránka:roll 1911.djvu/370

Patriotism and Citizenship 349 be done and done in all fairness and justice, we elect some citizens to make laws and term them legislators. We elect others to en/orce or administer the laws, and term them executives--the President, the governor, and the mayor coming under this'he?d. We elect other citizens to enforce and interpret the laws, and we term them judges and officers of the court. In fact, it is aprinciple in our government that no man or set of men shall have authofity in all departments of government, legislative, executive, and judic/al. You will see that the Constitution of the United States is divided into these three departments of government, and the state constitu- tions and dty charters are, as a rule, likewise divided. You will understand that an), property you may obtain will be valuable to you only in proport/on as you are protected in your rights of ownership by the government, and that the government not only protects yourproperty, it also protects your life and its interest as well as the life and interests of all other citizens. The building and maintenance of schooh and colleges, libraries, art and natural history museums, parks, playgrounds, hospitals, etc., are carried on at the expense of the government by means of taxation, inasmuch as these things are in the interests of mankind and for its upbuilding. In the city 'the protection of life and property is found in one or the other of these different departments: police, fire, health, street cleaning, parks, water supply, etc.; and every good citizen should lend his hand to help in every way possible the enforce- ment of law in each department. Citizenship In any form of government, problems are continually arising as to the rights of property and the rights of persons, and it.is well for us to remember this distinction: that the end of society (and by that term we mean government) is not the protection of property, but rather the upbnilding of mankind. If we bear thi? in mind and act upon it as a principle in Life, we shall find ourselves standing and voting on the fight side of public questions. We shall also be able to mark the man in private or public life who shows by his talk or his actions that he thinks more of property rights than he does of the rights of individuals. Any business that does not benefit society, but on the other hand degrades it, whether run by an individual or individuals in a firm, company, or corporation, is a business that ought by the law to be put out of existence. This is why Digitized by ?,? 0 08 ['?