The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1925. FROM RIGHTS TO DUTIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 29 April 1925, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1925. FROM RIGHTS TO DUTIES.

Throughout ike Dominion today, me citizens oi New Zealand j have tli© biennial opiJ-oruinity afforded tliein of exeicusmg tlie municipal ifanohiae. Successive amendments to tlie legislation governing' local elections .have so Widened tlie eligibility of mem and women to quality to. vote that tlie franchise now embraces i ail citizens of XL years and oven. Nevertheless, it is ; regrettable that in many districts stick apathy prevails in connection with municipal affairs. In some of the cities, however, vigorous election campaigns have _ been conducted and the citizens, in the mam, have evinced the liveliest interest in what have been very stirring contests. But does the average citizen appreciate the obligations cast upon the individual to tniuk in terms "of national good, and on this day in particular, give duty- and service the chief place in our counsels, if our citizens are thus alive to their privileges and responsibilities,, our citizenship will have honour and. efficiency. Once Louis 2Cl'vk cried,: '‘The State! I am the State,” and with equal assurance and acceptance other Rings styled themselves ‘“Spain,” . or "Trance,” or “England.” But that was long ago* To modern eyes every, new Raiser, is but old Caesar writ small, and even Ozai has lost its lustre. Democracy lias arrived, and Tom, Dick or Harry, even though he be ineligible to rule, shouts his dfiqice. of -.political- -shift-boss, without diffidence, and even with abandon. Moreover, his public administrators are accepted as servants of the community, while aspirants seeking political. favours —in national and local politics—designate , themselves ■‘your obedient servant.” .The rule of Democracy is complete, but does- the average citizen realise that t rights are closely associated with duties? Citizen is a great word. It is one of those cqskets that hold . treasures of history and hope, llttering it, we : borrow the language of the man •of old who- protidly said: MCivis Romanus Sum.”. It carries' us back to the city of Homer’s day, the rallying 1 centre of families developing 1 a i common life of accountability and service. Of that city Woodrow Wilson wrote: “It was generally a citadel upon a bill to which the confederated families- living 1 in the country round about it resorted in times of actual or threatened invasion. It contained the temples of the gods and was the seat of the common worship. In if was the market place, also* in which the trade of ; :the .countryside, i ;WaS. centred. It saw, the festivals, the sacrifices, . the . councils, the courts, the armed musterings of the; .people. But it did not see * t-hedi* daily life. That was not lived in Common, but apart in clans.” So the city came to stand ■ for the developing of , common life, of a people, and the spirit oi 'citizenship, as the spirit of that common . life implies all that it ' connotes of mutual need, and mutual service. The citizen is ' sympathetically aware of his fellows and desirous of aiding . them. They contribute to his ’life’s protection and enjoyment, and he gladly acknowledges his obligation to contribute in like fashion to their life. When that great) revolt against thoughtless and heartless tyranny which we Jail the French Revolution took affect, mein walked about Paris, vith “Citoyen” upon their lips m greeting- to their comrades of the red cap. A new conception of human life was bom for Europe in .that salutation of citizenship. It was ungainly in ,ts gait, and it did some mosi irresponsible things, ' no doubt. That was inevitable in the adolescent crisis then experienced. Ho one expects man to mike new and easily-fitting | uuness out of oid chains. Today we live in more settled times. x lie re is now no salutation such i..s “citoyen” as in the stilling | .ays of the French political jLupcst. nevertheless the rights •i citizenship so dearly-bought in -:e early fights of - democracy j gainst 1 autocracy, lmposp , -iuaiiy comprehensive duties . pon every man and woman 1 .aiming' the status of full J iiizenstiip. Wo desire to stress j aft point, in connection with to- • ay's polling. It is too late, of i mirse', for the nomination of candidates, but the citizens of tiie. South Canterbury districts 'V here contested elections arc j icing _ hold to-day, are tinder a heavy ' obligation to the ladies I ad gentlemen who are proving I Uiemselves true citizens by offer- j ng to serve the community on j i .uiuicipal councils, hospital cards, power 1 boards, to display rfficiont interest in the issues i .voiced to record their votes. 1 do appeal to citizens of South anteroury to remove the re- | each of slothfulness in their .predation of the importance of I ! .unicfp'al affairs and incidentally j iving encourag-ement to earne.se ■ 1 ad p-üblie spirited candidates for unite. favour by exercising tho , anehise which every free and i )lightened democratic coin- ■ iunity cherishes and jealously, I :f©guards as its inalienable glit: