Norfolk High School - Milestone Yearbook (Norfolk, NE)

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THE MILESTONE. 17 privileged, and the people were ground down by burdensome and unjust taxation. Judah was a theocracy. Her rulers were responsible to God alone. Having no tangible responsibility for their actions her kings ruled for their own aggrandizement and neglected the needs of the people. In Greece we find the first government in which the principle of liberty had a part. Athens, under the Peri-clean Republic became the foremost state of her time. Yet this Republic was founded upon an institution of slavery. A wise and patriotic statesman, such as Pericles, could not always be kept at the helm. Factional discord and political corruption grew to be common and the government became a tool in the hands of designing politicians. Rome gave to the world its grandest lesson of practical politics. Realizing that the different nations of the empire could not be governed by the laws of any one, there grew up that magnificent Roman jurisprudence that has ever been the admiration of the world. Her government was the grandest political system up to her time. She failed because she did not solve the problem of a representative government for a people scattered over a wide geographical area. Among the nations of today, in which these conditions are found, may be mentioned the United States, France, England, Switzerland and the Central American Republics. Of these, our own government stands out as being the most nearly ideal. Among the improvements that might benefit our government are that it should own and control all the large corporations and municipal franchises, create an educational standard for citizenship and enact and enforce more restrictive immigration laws.

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1« THE MILESTONE. political eye, a country’s or a nation’s standing in the hub of the world of today, is judged by its ruling or controling power, its government, just as a man is judged by his morals, his ideas, his character, his individual self-ruling power. Political organization of some sort has existed in every period of human history. Man by nature desires to associate with his fellows. He is not so constituted as to overcome the forces of nature or bear the strain of his sorrows without aid and consolation from other men. From the time that man began to associate with man, the stronger has trespassed upon the rights of the weaker. Hence the necessity of law which gives equal protection to the rights of all. Law is useless unless supported by a government able to enforce it. Government, then, is that organized means or power by which a nation protects the rights of its citizens and perpetuates its own existence. Men have always subjected themselves to the leadei-ship of other men. These leaders, as they came into power, established governments according to their own ideas. They were not always good men, hence their governments were not always good. They sacrificed the rights of the people to their own private ends. The people striving for deliverance espoused the cause of rival leaders, which led to constant warfare. In order that a nation may be happy and prosperous, it must have good government. But good government is comparatively a modern institution. Let us briefly review some of the governments of the ancient nations. The powerful Asiatic nations of antiquity were governed by caste and slavery. Monarchial power was absolute. Privileged classes were allowed to prey upon less

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18 THE MILESTONE. An ideal government must be one for the people, one that protects and educates its citizens, that keeps church and state separate, and that is founded upon principles of civilization. It must be one for the best interest of all of the people. Men filling the offices must be educated, moral, and have the courage of their convictions. Governors must be responsible to the governed, and corruption speedily punished. Higher education will lead men to a greater respect for Christian principles. Individual rights will be respected. Wrong will be quickly and vigorously suppressed. Trusts and monopolies will be restricted. Our influence for good in humanity’s name will not be confined to our own borders. The people of mouarchial countries will be led to realize that the purest democracy is the only just government. Just as a boisterous youth thrills an older man, the hapless millions of other lands already imbued with the spirit of liberty, will arise, throw off the thraldom of unholy despotism, and, under the glorious banner of freedom and political equality, will march forward toward higher ideals and grander achievements. God said: “I am tired of kings, I suffer them no more; For to my ears each morning brings The outrage of the poor Think you, I made this ball A field of havoc aud war, Where tyrants small Shall harry the weak and poor?” These then, are the problems which confront us, and in introducing to you the Class of ’99, we pledge you to meet them bravely, honestly and thoughtfully. Ladies and gentlemen, I take pleasure in introducing to you the Class of ’99.