But all young men of ability, whether favored by fortunes or not, owe it both to themselves and to the nation to give attention to public affairs, to keep themselves in touch with things, to be in constant preparation for public life if the opportunity or necessity comes to them.
Everybody knows there is a large number of such young men in the great business and industrial centers who give no attention, or very little, to public affairs. The manufacturing, the commercial or financial operations, the contracting or transportation enterprises which they take up give them so much better financial returns than public life would yield that they lose sight altogether of the government, upon whose proper conduct their success in their various callings and enterprises depends—upon which, in fact, the very chance to enter these callings and carry on those enterprises rests, and whose demoralization would wipe out everybody's chances in life.
Now, we can't prevent the evolution of such conditions in this or any other civilized country. But these people, thus completely absorbed in their callings and enterprises, whose standpoint of self-interest now prevents them from giving attention to public affairs, will surely be forced more and more to broaden their culture—thorough knowledge of public affairs is as necessary to truly broad culture as any other sort of knowledge—as well as their patriotism.
Must Give More Than Money.
I don't say that these people should give, give, give—it won't do for them to try to meet the situation merely by being charitable with their money. Giving only gratifies the giver. As a general rule, it pauperizes the people who receive. The multimillionaire of to-day must give more than his money. He must give some of his time, his attention, and his thought to other and more important things than personal money-getting.
The human animal accomplishes only as he works under the pressure of necessity. The extensive development of the United States in the last half century has kept the people so busy in various industries, speculations, and enterprises, in order to do their part in this development, that many of them have neglected their duties as citizens, or perhaps I should say as co-sovereigns in the government of the great empire that has been built up by their efforts, in which all men are equal at the ballot-box.
I myself am acquainted with many men who, merely because of lucky location, though only of respectable ability, have sat on the gateway of commerce, and, by simply levying toll, have accumulated great fortunes.
In all their lives they have never got into touch with public life; they know little about public questions, and they give them no attention. These men, when pinched by the unwise action of the majority of their fellows, are able to do little except cover the latter with abuse.
Sometimes, however, such men try to enter public life themselves. But then the people do not always acknowledge their fitness for public position. Sometimes they seek protection for their interests by improper methods instead of trying to contribute their share in building up a wise public sentiment.