n»»*»pfr.$TRE6

50,000

CAREER

GUIDANCE

SCHOOLS'

VOU -whosoever-you

are can lielp save

your country and

your world by v/^

starting one.... Lft



500,000 copies in print

Additional copies may be secured at cost

(9c a copy, $8.50 for 100 copies, $80 for

1,000 copies, all postpaid)., by writing

The Christopher#

18 East 48th Street, New York 17, N. Y.

Father James Keller, M.M., Director

i i i

Purpose of The Christophers

Less than 1% of humanity have caused most of the
world’s recent major troubles. This handful—regardless
of their labels—share a militant hatred of the basic
spiritual truth upon which this nation is founded and

without which it cannot endure : each and every human

being is a child of God, deriving his rights from God,

not from the State.

Anyone driven by such hatred seldom keeps it to him*

self. He becomes a missioner of evil striving to reach the

many, not the few. He usually gets into a field that

touches the lives of all people the world over: (1) educa-

tion, (2) government, (3) trade unions, (4) the writing

end of newspapers, magazines, books, radio, motion pic-

tures and television.

If another 1% go as apostolic workers—as Christophers
or Christ-bearers—into these same four fields and strive
as hard to restore the fundamental truth the other 1%
are working furiously to eliminate, the trend toward

“darkness” can be changed for the better!

That is the purpose of the Christophers. Each partici-

pant works as an individual. He takes out no member-

ship, pays no dues, attends no meetings. Tens of thousands

have already gone as Christ-bearers into the marketplace.

Our aim is to find a million. It is far more important

to get workers of good in, than to get workers of evil out,

necessary as that is. Positive, constructive action is

heeded. Little is accomplished by complaining and criticis-

ing. “It is better to light one candle than to curse the

darkness

For expenses of £400,000 annually, we depend on

voluntary offerings. (All gifts arfe deductible from taxable

income) . . . For wills our legal .title is “The Christophers,

Inc.” . . . Christopher News Ndtes are sent free of charge

each month to 400,000 persons doing Christopher work or

promoting the Christopher idea. Dmam
cum app. eccl.



50,000 CAREER GUIDANCE SCHOOLS

£

TABLE OF CONTENTS

i

Part One
page

A. You and a Career Guidance School ... 3

B. Suggestions for Forming a School 8

C. General Plan of Each Session _____ 13

D. Hints for Conducting a Class 14

Part Two

Session 1. Government Is Your Business . 16

Session 2. This Nation Under God 23

Session 3. Better Men Make Better Government 31

Session 4. What One Individual Can Do 3 8

Session 5. Protect Your Material Blessings ___ 45

Session 6. Beginnings of Government 52

Session 7. Politics Affects You Whether You

Like It or Not !_ 59

Session 8. Voting—The Foundation Stone 6 5
Session 9. City Government Depends on You __ 72

Session 10. State Government Vitally Affects You 78

Session 11. It’s Your National Government 84

Session 12. Hope for the Future 92



JJrager nf % Glljrtatapljpra

"'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there

is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope; where there is dark-

ness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O,

Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console; to be understood as

to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in

giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we

are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born

to eternal life.”

St. Francis of Assisi.

It is recommended that all say together
,
and

aloud, the above prayer at the opening of each

session,

2



A. YOU AND A CAREER GUIDANCE SCHOOL

You — whoever you are — can start a Career
Guidance School. Less than a dozen persons with

a Christopher objective can make up such a school.

It is easy to set one up in your home, on your

lunch hour, among your classmates, in your fac-

tory, on vacation—in fact, anywhere and among
any group of people. You need not be a teacher

to conduct one of these informal schools.

What you need most is a deep conviction that

as many people as possible with a Christ-like pur-

pose should make their influence felt in the careers

of vital influence. The urgency of doing some-

thing constructive without delay is becoming more

apparent every day. Unless more are awakened to

the necessity of going as Christ-bearers into the

marketplace immediately, the future of our coun-

try and our world will be in greater peril than ever.

hope of the future

We of the Christopher movement are convinced
that there are tremendous energies in the "grass

roots” of America waiting to go to work in a prac-

tical way for the love of God and mankind. They

can be the hope of the future, and, with the help

of divine grace, they may do much to shape world

trends.

3



We have seen from actual experience what great
good can come when the Christopher approach to

career guidance is put into practice by individuals

in such diverse groups as labor unions, church so-

cieties, armed services, teen-age groups, bridge

clubs, parent-teacher associations, literary societies,

student organizations, veteran groups, as well as

family circles.
#

Because of successful experiences in the past and

the imperative need for the future, we have de-

cided to expand this encouraging development on

as big a scale as possible. We can think of no
more effective way of doing this than through

the immediate establishment of 50,000 small, in-

formal Career Guidance Schools throughout the

United States.

All that is required to make this thrilling ob-

jective a reality is to find 50,000 persons like you

who are willing to start one of these projects. Our

purpose in writing this booklet is to provide the

basic material in a simple practical form that can

be put to use by almost anyone.

the role you can play

This booklet * dealing with government is the

first of a series which will include guidance

courses in such other vital fields as education,

communications, labor relations, social service,

and allied spheres.

Each course will be divided into 12 topics or

parts, thus providing material for 12 sessions,

which can be held as often as the group wishes

—

once a week, every two weeks or once every month.

On the completion of this course, another now in

preparation will be available.

* It is advisable that everyone participating in a Career

Guidance School have an individual copy of this booklet

to follow during each session and for reference between

sessions ... As stated above, additional copies may be

had at cost (9c a copy, #8.50 per hundred, #80 per thou-

sand, all postpaid) by writing: THE CHRISTOPHERS,
18 East 48th St., Nezv York 17, N. Y.

4



This course on government, based on the new

Christopher book, "Government is Your Business

”

seeks to stimulate all citizens to participate in the

vital functions of government as far as they can.

the more you know, the more you can do

The more the individual citizen familiarizes

himself with the workings of government on all

levels, the greater interest he is likely to take in it.

Until the majority of Americans understand

that government depends upon them individually,

we will be in danger of losing our form of de-

mocracy, and thereby our liberty.

Every citizen has some part to play—great or
small. Most attending these schools will not be

able to undertake a full-time career in govern-

ment themselves. But they will be in a better

position to encourage qualified persons to go into

government services and work for the common

good of all. They will learn the countless pos-

sibilities that the individual citizen has of par-

ticipating in the functioning of his government.

great possibilities ahead

The interest stirred up already by the numer-

ous small Career Guidance Schools now in oper-

ation is living proof of the great possibilities ahead

if this project is expanded on as wide a scale as

possible—and in a hurry.
Individuals in all parts of the nation have picked

up the idea and are acting on it.

A family in New Mexico has a group meeting
in their home.

A personnel director in a textile plant in New
Hampshire began a Career Guidance School among

a group of high school students.

Several college undergraduates in Toronto took

up the idea and have an active unit.

The owner of an employment agency in Cal-

ifornia has started a Christopher career school on

the side. He Was distressed at seeing so many people

with talent do nothing more than take an indif-

5



ferent job when they so easily could have taken

"a job with a purpose. ” .

In Korea, a group of G. I/s have set up a school

of their own. They want to learn as much as pos-

sible about the "jobs that count” in order to be

better prepared to take one when they return to

civilian life. They see better than ever before that

a few people living for peace might well save mil-

lions 'dying for it.

an 81 -year-old grandmother

No one is too young or too old to get some

benefit from a Career Guidance School. If they

cannot use it personally and directly themselves,

they can do a big service in acting as "transmit-

ters” by passing on to others the information and

inspiration they obtain in such a school.

In Detroit, where more than 40 Career Guidance

Schools are in operation, we have an excellent

example of what even an 81 -year-old grandmother

can do. A friend asked this lady why she was
bothering to go to a career guidance school at her

age '

To this she said quietly:

"I have reached the conclusion that most of

our trouble today results from the fact that the

wrong people are in the right jobs.”

With a smile, she acknowledged that it was

pretty late for her at 81 to embark upon a new

career in a vital sphere. Then, more seriously,

she said:

"I feel that I ought to know about these careers

because I have fifteen grandchildren. If I can get

them started thinking about the possibilities for

good in worthwhile careers, I feel that I will have

done something for my God and for my country.”

So much for what is being done. Now for a
passing glance at what many others are planning

to do.

they speak for themselves

A few months ago in the Christopher News

Notes we announced plans for expanding our

6



Career Guidance project. We were deeply im-

pressed not only by the large number of inquiries,

but even more by the Christ-like warmth and

hope that they convey. We wish that you could

read them all. Brief excerpts from a few of them

will give you some idea of what we mean:

1. , Washington
—

"I should like

to begin an informal Career Guidance School in

my home. This is an answer to a prayer. Our only

son, before he enlisted in the Paratroopers, told

me I should do something for the young people

in our town so they wouldn’t just graduate from

high school and then go to the lumber mill here

to work. So many do and they are not satisfied.

Please do tell me what I can do and how to go

about it.”

2. Hudson, Ohio — "Your Career School idea
interests me very much even though I am in a

rural community. My fifteen year old daughter
keeps asking me 'What shall I be?’ I am sure that

questions of this type are also .in the minds of

countless other youngsters. The more we parents

know about your Christopher suggestions along

these lines the more chance we will have of guid-

ing them to lead useful lives.”

3. Boston, Mass.—"I am a bookkeeper at the
Bank here in Boston. Even if I am

not in a vital field I can do something to help

others get there by setting up a Christopher

school in my home. I feel that quite a few of the
other employees here at the bank would also be

interested in such an undertaking.”

4. Wymore, Nebraska— "I am 21 years old
and would like to organize one of your schools

among my friends. I work during the day but I
could easily devote one evening a week towards

such a wonderful project.”

5. Cleveland, Ohio — "My job as secretary,
desk clerk and all-around helper in Hotel

is not in one of the vital fields but even at 5 7

years, of age I feel I can do something to get

7



others there by helping to get a Career Guidance

School under way.”

6. Charlotte, North Carolina — ''Both my
wife and I are interested in starting a Career

Guidance School. Please send us the information

and we shall begin immediately.”

7. Washington, D. C, — "The Christopher
Movement has certainly been a source of inspira-

tion to thousands. Your books have lifted me out

of the doldrums of a seemingly purposeless exist-

ence. I am trying to interest the college faculty

here in introducing your Career Guidance ideas.”

8. Los Angeles, Cal.—"I happen to work on
a newspaper, but I would like to do more. Your

Career Guidance idea sounds great! Count me in

for pushing one school.”

9. Ardmore, Oklahoma—"Four of us here in
this part of Oklahoma would be delighted to make

a try at getting a Career Guidance School started.

You send the information and we'll do the rest.”

fifty thousand times one

Yes, the possibilities are limitless. If the "chil-

dren of light

”

show as much daring as the "chil-

dren of darkness” in "launching into the deep”

a tremendous change for the better is bound to

take place.

There is hardly any group, any place, any sit-

uation where a Career Guidance School cannot

be launched. Some will be tempted to under-

estimate what their little group can do to change

the trend of the times. They should remember

that their effort, blessed by God, and multiplied

by 50,000, is all that is needed to do the job.

B. SUGGESTIONS FOR FORMING A SCHOOL

The direction of the Career Guidance School

is left entirely in the hands of those who make

up the group. They have no obligation whatever

to Christopher headquarters and therefore are not

obliged to seek permission or make a formal re-

8



port to us. We would, however, welcome any
communication concerning the starting of a group

and its progress, so that we may be able to share

its experiences with other groups through a special

bulletin, which we will supply free of charge to

any who wish it.

The classes should as far as possible be self-

operating. For the sake of order, however, a

leader (who conducts the meeting and the reading

of material) and an observer (who watches the

progress of a session to ensure participation by all)

should be chosen.

As far as possible and practical a different

leader and observer should be selected for each

session in order that each will have some experience

in leadership.

keep the group small

We feel that the best results are obtained when
the number in each school is restricted to 1 0 or 12

persons. Keeping it small and informal gives each

a chance to participate in a more active and in-

dividual manner.

Each thus has a chance to express himself, raise

questions and make suggestions, which would not

be possible if groups were larger. Furthermore,

with a small gathering, it is easy to find a meet-

ing place and there is no expense involved.

If a group grows too large, it would be valu-

able if some of its members would volunteer to

start another or several of their own. One from

the older group would do well to join each new

school to help get it started.

length of classes

The length of the classes should be determined

by each group. Circumstances will vary. Some

will prefer a short session, others a longer one.

keep classes informal

Class discussions and recommendations should

be confined to basic principles and methods, so

that it will be left to the resourcefulness of one

9



and all to put them into application according

to his own talent and circumstances.

We have found time and time again that this
simple freedom as well as sense of individual

responsibility results in a more dynamic sense of

purpose, a more spontaneous originality, enter-

prise and persevering enthusiasm than can be

acquired in no other way.

stepping stone to the world

To assure the Career Guidance School of far-

reaching effects, it would be well that all those

attending it be frequently reminded that each

class or session is only the first step. Action must

follow discussion and reflection, otherwise all the

considerations still remain up in the air instead

of being carried into the mainstream of life.

Every precaution should be taken lest classes

degenerate into mere talk fests. The Devil doesn’t

mind if we do nothing more than talk, pass resolu-

tions and beat the air. But it does upset his plans

very much once we start "doing”, as Christ urges

each of His followers. "Be ye doers of the word

and not hearers only.”

If each one attending a session looks on it

merely as a first step—in which to be informed
and stimulated for action outside the class—then
each session may well be a stepping stone to real

achievement.

between classes

That the most may be gained from every class,

it would be wise for each one attending it:

a. to glance over the subject matter in this

booklet beforehand.

b. to re-read it a few days after the class in

order to deepen and intensify interest and

plans for action;

c. to do some reading between classes of books

or pamphlets that develop the theme being

discussed.

10



half-hour session

The topics are gauged for half-hour classes with

each session divided as follows:

I. Opening Prayer

II. Material for Consideration (10 min.)

III. Discussion Period (15 min.)

IV. Practical Application (5 min.)

V. Closing Prayer

Planning the class on a half-hour basis has

the definite advantage of permitting it to be

adopted to the widest variety of circumstances,

e.g., a lunch hour, before or after a club meeting,

at home when more time is not available.

The classes can easily be lengthened by extend-

ing any or all portions as circumstances require.

supplementary reading

Supplementary reading material which can be

used in the longer sessions can be found in the

following Christopher oooks:

Government Is Your Business

You Can Change the World

Careers That Change Your World

These books are available in both 3 5c pocket-

size (Permabook) and the $2 edition (Double-

day) with the exception of Government is Your

Business which is printed at present only in the

$2 size. Any of these books may be obtained at

your bookseller or by writing: THE CHRIS-
TOPHERS, 18 East 48th St., New York 17, N.Y.

a few safeguards

1. Avoid Political Complications

Due to the nature of the Career Guidance

School and the fact that this particular course

is on government, great care should be taken

lest this project be used for the special advantage

of any political party.

Those attending the classes should be frequently

reminded that they must always remain free to

join the party of their preference, vote as they

11



please, take a job of their own choosing or par-

ticipate in whatever way they see fit.

2. Avoid Fund-Raising

In keeping with the Christopher policy of no

dues, no memberships, no fees of any kind, it is

earnestly recommended that no fund-raising should

be carried on by any Career Guidance School

for any cause whatever. Any literature supplied

by Christopher headquarters will be provided either

free of charge or at actual cost for printing and

shipping.

emphasize individual responsibility

The object of the Christopher movement is to

develop a sense of personal responsibility and in-

itiative in bringing back into the marketplace

the major truths which alone guarantee peace for

all mankind. It is therefore hoped that the chief

fruit of the Career Guidance School will be to

foster in each person attending it a consciousness

of his own individual responsibility.

It is important then, that such a school be

kept on as informal a basis as possible, in order

to stress the fact that each one participating in

the various sessions is entirely on his own. It is

up to him individually to make his own decisions.

Everything is between God and himself.

Christ the model

In keeping with the objective of the Christopher

movement to bring Christ into the marketplace,

it is recommended that each Career Guidance

School keep Him uppermost in its motivation

and frequently recall His commands to "love”

"pray,” "go,” and "teach
”

Each member of the school should keep in

his heart this question: "Where can I carry Christ

today ? Tomorrow? In my life work?”

Each should ^>e constantly aware that through

his efforts Christ may be brought to some person

or surrounding where He might otherwise never

reach.

12



C. GENERAL PLAN OF EACH SESSION

I. Opening Prayer

The Christopher prayer, to be recited aloud

by all, is suggested as a fitting opening for all

classes of the Career Guidance School. You will

find it on page 2.

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

This period is devoted to the reading of ap-

propriate material on the topic under considera-

tion. Its purpose is to help the members of the

group gather their thoughts— and to act as
a springboard into the discussion period which

follows. Members, during the reading therefore,

should formulate ideas for positive action in order

to present them for discussion in the following

period. The reading should be conducted by the

leader of the session.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

This period is for discussion of the reading

matter. In this booklet a few questions for dis-

cussion have been listed only as suggestions. As

far as possible members should originate their

own questions. This does much to keep the dis-

cussion on a more personal and spontaneous level.

All those attending sessions, therefore, should be

encouraged to propose their own questions, raise
objections, and make observations of their own.

It is the job of the leader as well as the ob-

server to see that the discussion is kept lively and

to the point. They should see that all have a

chance to speak if they wish, and that the subject

matter is completely covered and is always aimed

toward constructive action,

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

Little is accomplished if each one fails to aim

at some practical application after the class. All

the discussions should terminate in this period on

a note of constructive activity.

13



Two kinds of action should be aimed at. There

is, first, the long range and more important one

of determining what one can and should do in

reference to one’s career or life work.

The following possible categories will help each

member to determine the general basis of his plans.

He should:

1. Inquire into the possibility of a career in

government for himself.

2. When this is impossible, see what chances

there are of part-time participation.

3. Become a "committee of one” to interest

others in this vital field of influence.

4. Above all, resolve to include government in

his prayers.

No. report of decisions reached need be given

at the class, though those who wish can do so as

an aid to other members.

short range projects

It is suggested, although not obligatory, that

the possibility of doing something from week to

week be considered. It will help to prevent the

long range goal from becoming a vague and in-

definite form of wishful thinking.

For this purpose a short list of suggested proj-

ects or actions will be given in the fourth part

of each class. It is for those who wish to do a

little "field work” in applying what is learned

in class.

Very often ideas can be suggested by the leader

or the members of the class. They should be ac-

cepted voluntarily, and no report need be given

unless the members wish it.

V. Closing* Prayer

The leader should select any appropriate prayer

to be recited by all.

D. HINTS FOR CONDUCTING A CLASS

For each meeting, the 10 or 12 who make up

the Career Guidance School should select a leader

14



and observer. These two people should be changed

every meeting, until all have had a chance to

lead and observe.

Duties

Leader

:

Do's: 1. Starts meeting with prayer.

2. Appoints one or more to read topic.

3. Launches and guides discussion.

4. Keeps group on subject.

5. Summarizes positive points.

6. Closes meeting with prayer.

Don'ts: 1 Avoids over-emphasizing.

2. Refrains from dominating meeting.

3. Takes care not to get off on a tan-

gent.

Observer

:

Do's: 1. Listens to discussion.

2. Notes whether ALL participate and

get a chance to talk.

3 . Observes whether one or another mon-

opolizes discussion.

-

4. Makes observations at end of short

meeting or every fifteen or twenty

minutes of longer meeting.

Don'ts: 1. Avoids saying anything outside of

time called upon for his or her obser-

vations.

2. Refrains from making comments

that are personal rather than objec-

tive.

Members of Group:

Do's: 1. Listen attentively and formulate posi-

tive thought for action.

2. Speak to one another in an informal

but courteous manner.

3. When making suggestions, aim to

submit them rather than impose them.

Dont's: 1 Avoid interrupting one another.

2. Are careful not to underestimate or

minimize another’s idea.

15



SESSION 1

GOVERNMENT IS YOUR BUSINESS

I*. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

One of the biggest problems of our day is to

convince the average American that it is up to

him to run his own government if the United

States is to survive as a free nation.

Much of the world’s troubles today are due to

the fact that countless individuals have taken

a "let George do it” attitude about public affairs.

They often failed to see until it was too late

that it was more their neglect than the power

of a few subversives that led to their downfall.

Since the end of World War II, in 1945,

nine countries with a total population of over

700,000,000 souls have been reduced to a con-

dition of slavery without precedent in all history.

16



warning from a Czech

Over and over again it has been the same old

story— neglect, neglect, neglect on the part of
those who had every reason to be cautious.

A young man who escaped from one of these
countries, Czechoslovakia, came to the United

States to remind us that we are heading in the

same direction. He made a fervent plea to Ameri-

cans not to make the same tragic mistake as that

made by his countrymen.

His words are addressed to you. If you catch

their full implication, you may be able to do far

more than you think to save your country—and
your world. Here is what he said:

"The same conditions exist in America today

that preceded the downfall of my country. Every-

body took it for granted that because we were a

freedom loving people we could never lose freedom.

We paid no attention to repeated warnings that
the Communists were infiltrating into the heart of

everything that affected our destiny.

"The majority of us went on living in our smug

little worlds, too busy with business, parties,

ski trips, and the rest to realize the frightful

penalty we were soon to pay for our neglect. One

morning our bitter fate came upon us like a shot

out of hell. We were helpless to do anything
about it. Machine guns lined the streets. The

government, the army, the schools, communica-

tions—everything had been taken over by the
Communists overnight.

"Our money isn’t worth two cents on the

dollar now. Will we ever get a second chance?

Only a few like myself escaped. Our one ambition

is to warn you Americans not to make the same

mistake.”

two reminders from tenin

From an altogether different source comes an

almost sickening reminder of how a terrible

tragedy could have been averted for 190 million

17



Russians and the nearly one billion human beings

now under Communist domination.

If only a handful of "good” Russians had had

the sense and courage to fight as hard for the

common good as they did for their own selfish

interests the whole course of modern history might

have been changed. This unusual tribute to the

power of the individual comes from Lenin himself:
f

7/ there had been in Petrograd in 1917 only

a group of a few thousand men who knew what

they wanted
,
we would never have come to power

in Russia
”

These few thousand learned too late that if

they had only worked to save others they might

have saved themselves. Now both are lost—and
hundreds of millions with them.

Once again at the end of his life, Lenin, of

all people, came back to a belated recognition

of the importance of the individual who is domi-

nated by spiritual ideals when he said:

"I have made a great mistake. Our main pur-

pose was to give freedom to a multitude of

oppressed people. But our method of action has

created worse evils and horrible massacres. You

know that my deadly nightmare is to feel that

I am lost in this ocean of blood, coming from

innumerable victims. It is too late to turn back

now, but in order to save our country, Russia,

we should have had ten men like Francis of Assisi.

With ten such men we would have saved Russia”

Communism could disappear

The collapse of country after country ov'er

the world is an increasing cause for alarm to the

American public. It is disturbing them more

than they care to admit. But they don’t seem to

realize that the same desintegration is already

taking place within our very midst.

Communism is only a small part of the trouble.

If all Communists disappeared overnight the big

problem would still remain. This is the failure of

18



the average good citizen to participate in the

functioning of his government and to see that

it is staffed by the best possible workers.

But let's not forget for a moment that the

Communists are working day and night to hasten

the downfall. Don’t be fooled by their tempor-

ary set-backs. The one everlasting goal they have

is to take America without firing a shot—to take
it

" with the groceries still on the shelves.”

our weakness, their strength

But the combined efforts of all Communists

are not doing as much to wreck America as our

own failure to do what we should. In fact, the

chief strength of the Communists is our weakness.

There is real hope in this state of affairs, des-

perate as it seems. Alert enough good Americans to

do what they should as quickly as possible and

the disaster that threatens everyone of us may be

averted.

This should have a particular meaning for you,

because you are truly interested in doing your part

to save your country. The mere fact that you are

participating in a Career Guidance School is a sure

sign of your sincerity and willingness.

The more you realize that "government is

YOUR business that you have an individual,
personal responsibility towards it, the more you

are likely to act on your own and the more you

will stir others to "doing” and not merely "talk-

ing” or "complaining.” You will become more and

more positive and constructive. You will be a

living testimony to the fact that "it is better

to light one candle than to curse the darkness

You will sense more than ever that either you

run your government or government runs you

!

America to you

The objective of this first session of your

Career Guidance School is to emphasize your im-

portance as an individual—that America is noth-
19



ing more than you over and over again and that

consequently, the government of this great coun-

try is your business.

In order that you may appreciate more fully

why "government is YOUR business” and what
you can do about it we have chosen what we re-

gard as vital subjects for consideration in the 1

1

remaining sessions. You may care to glance over

the titles of these again in the table of contents

on page 1. We believe they have a bearing on what
you can do.

pass it along

The knowledge and inspiration that you may

gain during this course can have a far reaching

effect. It is good for you to gain this for your-

self. But it is even better if you take the time

and trouble to pass it on to others who may

not be reached except through you.

It will not be too easy to do this, but God

will bless your every effort. Expect people to

be disinterested, cynical, unbelieving or down-

right critical. Don’t be disheartened. With most

you are making much more headway than you

think. Sometimes a single word will start them

thinking. In any event, you will be doing your

part.

actions speak louder

Jack Johnson, the great negro heavyweight

boxing champion, made a remark during his bout

with Jess Willard in 1915 that offers encourage-

ment to those who are striving. A spectator at
the ringside directed a running fire of abuse at

Johnson. He criticized Johnson’s style, his color,

and finally his courage in the ring. Johnson,

knowing how to disagree without getting dis-

agreeable, leaned over the ropes between rounds

and cheerfully said to his critic:

"Man, you're down there^talking, Vm up here

fighting.”

20



a breath-taking challenge

God has blessed our country in a special

way and expects you and every other American

to respect and protect those blessings.

Whether acting individually, or through the

home, the church, the school or any other organi-

zation, it is your responsibility and that of each

citizen to take an active interest in his own

government for the good of the nation and the

world.

You personally can do much to shape the future

for yourself and for everybody else. It is a breath-

taking challenge. In a very real sense, you can

change the world. For as America goes during

the next five or ten years, so probably will go

the world.

In a talk at West Point many years ago Wood-

row Wilson gave a forceful reason why you

should cherish the heritage that is yours in Amer-

ica. It deserves your prayerful consideration.

''America came into existence for a particular

reason. It was as if in the Providence of God a

continent had been kept unused and waiting for a

peaceful people who loved liberty and the rights

of man more than they loved anything else, to

come and set up an unselfish commonwealth. . . .

"There is none like it in the whole annals of

mankind—men gathering out of every civilized
nation in the world on the unused continent

and building up a policy exactly to suit them-

selves, not under the domination of any ruling

dynasty, or of the ambitions of any royal family,

doing what they pleased with their own life on a

free space of land which God had made rich with

every resource which was necessary for the civiliza-

tion they meant to build up. There is nothing

like it!”

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

The points suggested below may assist you. On

the other hand, you and other members of your

21



group may have questions of your own that you

would prefer to discuss.

1. What does the average American citizen do

to improve his own government?

2. Do you hold up service in government as an

honorable occupation to which the best

citizens should aspire or do you tend to be-

little those who undertake such a career?

3. In your opinion what can be done by in-

dividuals such as you to get over to the aver-

age person that "Government Is Your Busi-

ness”?

4. An increasing number of Americans are ex-

pecting "someone else” to provide first class

government at second class rates. Why is it
that they expect this when they themselves

wouldn’t work for such a. low salary? What

can be done to change this dangerous trend?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. In conversation in your home, at work, in

school, in various clubs and organizations to

which you belong, bring up the subject that

more and more Americans are taking the "let

George do it” attitude. Much good can come

from this because the majority are at least

well disposed and their neglect is more

thoughtless than malicious.

2. In order that government gets the thought

and attention from you that it deserves as a

citizen, it is essential that you familiarize

yourself not only with its fundamental

structure but also with the way it is adminis-

tered. You can do this in part by reading

reports and developments in newspapers,

magazines and reviews.

V. Closing Prayer

22



SESSION 2

THIS NATION UNDER GOD

I. Opening Prayer (All say together- -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

A .woman crossing the Atlantic for the first
time was frightened by a violent storm. The ship

was going up and down, deeper and deeper each

time. She was afraid it might go down and not

come up!. White with fear she went to the captain,

seeking some shred of assurance.

"Captain, Captain ! What is going to happen?'’

she exclaimed.

The master of the ship decided to give the very

best reason to put her at ease.

"Don’t worry
,
Madam. After all, we’re in the

hands of God.”

The woman, far from being appeased, exclaimed:

"Good heavens! Is it as bad as that?”

23



Fortunately for all of us it is not "as bad as

that”. On the contrary it is "as good as that”

.

It is still God’s world and He always does His

part. Sad to say, we have been very neglectful in

taking care of the share He has left to us.

getting the devil

More than two hundred and fifty years ago,

when the charter of the Commonwealth of Penn-

sylvania was being written, William Penn, the

Quaker, sounded a warning which, for our day,

has a far greater significance:

**"Those people who are not governed by God

will be ruled by tyrants.”

There is no time to lose. Not only have the

great majority forgotten this fundamental fact,

but, still worse, millions of our young people are

slowly but surely being conditioned to the Marx-

Hitler dogma, that the state is the only god. It

took Hitler only twelve years to sink that concept

into the minds of German youth. He knew full

well this was a necessary prelude to the fulfillment

of the frightful orgy of death and destruction he

was about to launch.

It is an old story: those ivho don't want God

get the Devil.

translate it into action

As Americans, we do a thorough job of in-

scribing "In God We Trust” on our coins. But
for various reasons we are failing more and more

to see that "In God We Trust” is translated into
action into all phases of public as well as private

life.

An increasing number of voices are being heard

throughout the length and breadth of the land be-

moaning the general moral breakdown that is

taking place under our very noses. They all sound

the same warning: that something has gone ivrong.

Unfortunately, most of those who express sin-

cere dismay have given no thought to what a

sound solution might be. It’s the human weakness;

24



people don’t want to be ill, but they don’t want

to take the medicine that makes them better,

either. As it says in the "Imitation of Christ”,

they want peace, but' not the things that make

for peace.

Freedom, although God-given, depends on us

too. It is a fragile gift entrusted to us, which we

must preserve and fortify.

Freedom is not for the lazy. It demands charac-

ter, will and education. It requires decisions, self-

respect and self-reliance. A man must guard and

preserve his freedom as he loves his home and his

children, with a devotion that doesn’t count

sacrifices and constant effort.

they know our weakness

Strangely enough, the Communists know this

too. They realize that the most effective way to

make anyone lose faith in freedom is to deprive

him of faith in Almighty God. From long ex-

perience all the totalitarians know that once the

Divine Cause of freedom is eliminated, the effects

automatically disappear. Destroy the roots and the

branches eventually wither.

This explains why there is no let-up in the Com-

munists’ continual war against everything con-

nected with religion. When the Communists set to

the task of enslaving a country, religion is always

the first target for ridicule, undermining and

eventual extermination.

Indeed, if there were no reason why we should

be for God, the mere fact that the Communists are

so much against Him is a strong argument* that

there must be some intimate connection between

God and the basic freedoms that all of us cherish.

Obviously, they recognize, even more clearly than

do the people who enjoy those liberties, that the

body languishes and dies once the heart is seriously

affected.

But, as we keep repeating, all trace of Com-

munism could vanish in thin air and the much

greater weakness would remain; namely, that more

25



and more Americans are losing sight df the fact

that their liberty is rooted in a divine origin. They

are actually abandoning the spiritual force that

accounts above all else for the greatness of

America. The dire warning, of Abraham Lincoln

over a hundred years ago seems to be more timely

now than ever before:

"If this nation is ever destroyed , it
will be from

within
,
not from without

”

the hopeful side

Despite the seriousness of the situation, there is

a note of hope. The average American is not anti-

God or anti-religious. He simply has been condi-

tioned by education and literature, as well as by

government, to a godless or secularist attitude.

This situation can be changed for the better once

enough stalwarts are found to lead America back

to its source of strength. Once a spark is ignited

it can burst into flame. This is a challenging and

inspiring objective for any God-loving, true

American.

Fortunately, it is not necessary to resort to any

radical changes or innovations to repair the

damage. What is required is to restore to public

consciousness the cornerstone of American life,

which, as our Founding Fathers repeatedly said,

is God Almighty. All changes or reforms that may

be needed in our country must always be solidly

grounded on this foundation.

Can enough persons be found to reintegrate into

every branch of government this basic American

belief that the purpose of government is to secure

the God-given rights of all?

Without a moment’s hesitation we say it can

be done! And furthermore, that it must be done

—

without delay—if we are to survive as a free
nation.

a new threat

We must be cautious to preserve the spirit of

the heritage of our Founding Fathers, who believed

so strongly in our dependence on God as the

26



foundation stone of our government. Of late, a

small group of atheists have proposed that we

make our official religion a "religion of democra-

cy.” As one of them has stated it: "the religion

of science and democracy is no less a religion than

any other.” These men would make of democracy

an all-embracing religion to the exclusion of the

judaeo-christian faith and traditions which have

always been the basis of our American way of life.

This danger must be clearly seen and opposed by

all of us if we are to preserve the heritage which

has made us a great nation. Our faith in democra-

cy must remain strong, but it must in no way

tend toward destroying our faith in God.

already on the job

All right-thinking people in America should

find deep satisfaction in the realization that a

number of those in government service work

quietly and conscientiously to revive the letter and

the spirit of our traditions in various government

branches.

One man, for example, who occupies a very

high and responsible position in Washington prays

before each major project that he will be blessed

by God in acting for the best interests of the

country and for all the citizens he represents.

Because he is constantly aware that he must one

day render an account of his stewardship to God

he is scrupulously honest and strives to avoid every

trace of inefficiency and favoritism.

A young college student in Portland, Oregon,
explained why she turned down offers of better

jobs to take a minor post in the State Department:

"I took the State Department job because I felt

it offered me an unusual opportunity to meet my
obligation to God and my country”, she said.
A young lady entrusted with secret files in a

federal agency in Washington said frankly:

"The one thing above everything else that keeps

me honest with my country is that I am first of
all honest with my God”.

27



the ultimate aim

These are only a few of countless cases showing

what God-minded people can do. It is heartening

and refreshing to know that there are persons

such as these in our government who are willing

and anxious to work and even suffer that it con-

tinue to be "this nation under God”.

But unless many more followers of Christ go

into government and the other vital fields, we

stand in danger of becoming "this nation without

God”. Too many Americans are slipping into the

dangerous belief that they can do without the

Supreme Founder of our democracy. If this atti-

tude is allowed to persist, it will inevitably prove

fatal to the health of our nation.

warning for all

This alarming increase of secularism among

Americans provoked a comment in 1947 from the

Catholic Bishops of the United States. In dis-

cussing the attitude of many Americans toward

God, the Bishops said:

"For the most part they do not deny God. On

formal occasions they may even mention His

name. Not all of them would subscribe to the

statement that all moral values derive from merely

human conventions. But they fail to bring an

awareness of their responsibility to God into their

thought and action as individuals and members of

society. This, in essence, is what we mean by

secularism".

Furthermore, Murray G. Ross, in a recent sur-

vey sponsored by the Y. M. C. A. disclosed that

most young people in the U. S. have had little

contact with religion and therefore religion is

"not a directing
,
compelling force in life”.

Mr. Ross said that approximately three-quarters

of the young people he questioned "do not feel

that their individual lives are very important in

the larger scheme of things. . . . Few share in the

28



life of a group dedicated and actively devoted to

the highest goals of mankind”.

sheep without a shepherd

Mr. B. G. Sandhurst, in his "How Heathen Is

Britain?”, pointed out that "Nearly half the

young men leaving our public and secondary

schools are almost pagan ... are starting life in

ignorance of their nature, their purpose and their

destiny”.

Mr. Sandhurst went on to say in a conclusive

manner, however, that while most of this number

"denied they were anything more than animals”,

at the same time there was a definite desire on the

part of even the most skeptical among them to

know more about religion. They were really

groping for some authentic leadership to rescue

them from the disillusionment that follows in the

wake of no faith at all or in the worship of false

gods.

These young people, "sheep without a shepherd”,

were gradually realizing that when God is elimi-

nated from the lives of men, men invariably turn

to the State as a substitute for God. They replace

a vital sense of dependence on God and self with

a frustrating and often enslaving dependence on

the Almighty State.

This is exactly the sort of diseased environment

that those bent on enslaving mankind wish to

create. We can defeat them only with the aid of
God and a government that believes in fact, not

merely in theory, in the Divine Creator as the

source of all rights. Truly, if this nation is to sur-

vive the onslaught of our godless enemies, which

is threatening us at this moment, it must strive to

remain— "this nation under God”.
i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

The following are a few points that may be

talked over. Each, however, should feel free to

propose his or her own points for discussion.

29



1. How much longer do you think America
will survive if the present tendency to ignore

and exclude God is continued?

2. Why is it that those who hate God make such
a personal sacrifice to take any job in govern-

ment — even those that pay little money,
have little glamor and offer no prospects for

advancement? Why do such people work so
hard at their jobs?

3. Why is it, on the other hand, that so few
followers of Christ undertake a career in

government with any sense of purpose

beyond self? Why do they overlook the great
opportunity to work for the best interests of

their country and the general welfare of all?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. One important service that everyone can

render is to pray that more take an interest

in maintaining and protecting our form of

government that respects the truth of God

and the God-given rights of the individual.

You would do well to make it a habit to pray

daily for some particular government official

of your own choosing whose decisions affect

the well-being of all. Those who are good

need your prayers. Those who are confused,

purposeless or even disloyal need your pray-

ers even more.

2. Whether or not you yourself can undertake a

career in government, you can do much to

encourage at least one other person with a

Christ-like purpose to dedicate himself for

a few years, if not for a lifetime, to the

service of others in the sphere of govern-

ment.

V. Closing Prayer

30



SESSION 3

better men make better government

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

Recently in San Francisco the simple courage

of one young lady swung a man from a lucrative

career in business to a post in the State Depart-

ment.

The two first met at dinner. The young man,

a native of Boston, quickly got on the subject, of

"what’s wrong with government.” Fie had nothing

but criticism and fault-finding for those in gov-

ernment employ. His dinner companion let him

talk himself out. Then, when he had wound up

all his critical remarks about his own government,

she smiled sweetly and said:

"And what are YOU doing about it? It’s your
country, too!”

31



Taken aback, he was at a loss for a reply. Her

question made him realize that for years he had

been complaining about bad government, and

exerting no effort for good government. For

several months he tried to forget the question,

but he could not rid his mind of it. "What are

YOU doing about it?” kept coming back to him.
Finally he realized that government was just as

much his business as any American’s. He saw that

he had no right to ask others to devote their lives

to it, while he did nothing but complain. He for-

sook a promising business opening and took the

State Department job to make what contribution

he could. With his new attitude of service to his

government, we can believe that his contribution

will be substantial.

Whether you are a housewife, a farmer, a

butcher or a baker, the more you feel government

is your business the more you will do to improve

it. All of us can say:

"It is my country. And when my life ends,

this country will be a little the better or a little

the worse for my having lived in it.”

deep conviction needed

Faith is the important ingredient here. Faith in

the country will keep you from feeling hopeless

about it. Faith in God and in yourself will show

the way. But you must decide for yourself what

you will do, and how you will do it. Oftentimes

in performing your duties as a citizen you may

feel frustrated and forsaken by all but him.

Abraham Lincoln once said:

"I have been driven many times to my knees by

the overwhelming conviction that I had no place

else to go.”

But Lincoln did not stay on his knees. He got

up, his faith fortified by prayer, and went on to

perform faithfully the tasks set before him.

Faith in your Creator and loyalty to your

country go hand in hand. A Presbyterian Minister,

32



the Reverend Benjamin F. Farber, noted this re-

lationship recently when he said:

"No people has e^er been known to endure long

without a faith in God . . . With no vision or

understanding of the moral and spiritual teachings

that lie at the heart of a religious faith, there is

bound to be a disregard for truth, honor, and

justice . . . We cannot neglect and disobey God
and His commandments without paying the price

of a decadent nation.”

bigger responsibilities ahead

Judging from the 19 50 census, this country

will grow at the rate of 2 5,000,000 every ten

years. We are now a country of 15 0,697,361 souls.

By 1960, the population should increase to

175,000,000, This prospective growth should re-

mind us that our present duties and responsibili-

ties will be multiplied in the future with every

year of growth. If we fail to discharge our re-

sponsibilities toward present duty, who will look

out for the 2 5,000,000 future Americans?

Our government on the local, city, county,

state and national levels, stands as our biggest

business today. The number of public employees

in all branches of government now runs above

6 /z million persons. In Federal Government alone,

civilian employees number more than 2,400,000.

Roughly one American in every twenty-three

holds a government post of some. sort. In pay,

government employees receive about 19/2 billion

dollars a year or some 1 /z billion dollars each

month. Don’t you owe it to yourself to investigate

the calibre and character of these employees?

phenomenal growth

The number of civilians in government employ

has shown a phenomenal growth in the last

twenty years with the buildup of the armed forces

and the extension of health and welfare benefits.

Is the number too large? It’s your business to

find out. It’s your country.

3 3



With the growth of population, we must expect

an expansion of government services as well. How
much is too much should b| your concern and

that of every other citizen.

It is to your interest also to see that the best

type of worker is found in every level of govern-

ment. To be a vital force for good government,

the employee must feel a deep sense of responsi-

bility to God and his fellow man. He needs the

same sense of dedication to a vocation which

distinguishes the parent, a religious leader, a

teacher, or any other figure who moulds the

destiny of others.

From President down to the lowliest clerk, any

position in government service is a position of

trust. That is true whether the office is village

alderman, city policeman, file clerk in the Atomic

Energy Commission, or membership in the U. S.

Senate. The public expects each of its servants

to make public service his first consideration,

with the proper compensation warranted by the

job, a secondary consideration. Reversing the order

results in a dangerous situation.

two ways to destruction

In Denver recently two young men made de-

cisions of the kind that weaken America instead

of strengthening it.

One was a young lawyer of unusual character

and ability. He was offered an important post in

the State.Department. It gave him the opportunity

to make a valuable and much-needed contribu-

tion to his country’s welfare. After thinking the

offer over casually, he decided against accepting

it.

"First of all,” he told a friend, "it would mean

moving to Washington. Then it means leaving

my old friends and making new ones. Third, it

would mean a slight cut in income, and I don’t

feel I can afford it.”

All three reasons went directly to his personal

convenience. Not one word did he utter about

34



the chance offered him to serve his country when

the nation needed his services.

The second young man was of a wealthy fam-

ily. A friend of his told us about this individual’s

shift to Communism. Despite the latter’s Ameri-

can background, he had become devoted to it

while in college. In his case the cause of advancing

Communism proved more compelling than his

own self-regard. As part of his development as

a Communist he had broken away from religion

years before. Here is his reasoning:

"I believe in Communism and I want to do

something about it. That’s why I turned down a

business opportunity in Denver with fine pros-

pects and decided to enter a Teacher’s College.

As a teacher, I felt I would have a wide opportu-

nity to impart my ideas on government to young

students. The students in turn will put these

ideas into practice.”

two contrasts

Here we have two young men, both residents

of the same city, who chose opposite courses.

The loyal American, offered an opportunity to

strengthen his nation, declined it. The Commu-

nist made* his own opportunity, at personal sac-

rifice, to advance the cause he believed in.

Governments all over the world are being

weakened by the work of these two types. Those

with real capacity for improvement remain on

the sidelines, doing nothing. Those least fitted to

play an active part in American life get them-

selves into positions of influence where they can

spread their poison.

Once a sufficient number of people realize that

the future of their country is at stake we will

have a better atmosphere. Once these people realize

that they, personally and individually, can do

something about betterment, we will see an im-

provement.

3 5



the task ahead

Task 1: To Deepen the Sense of Purpose in

Government Workers .

First and most important is the task of de-

veloping a higher sense of purpose in those who

serve us in every section of government.

Many workers are beset by the lack of vision

and sense of purpose that afflict most of us, but

we feel many of them could easily be roused.

Task 2: To Guide Into Government Those

With High Purpose.

With its rapid employee- turnover, government

needs a constant flow of replacements. Where

will we find them? In families, churches and

schools.

Government itself seeks the best individuals for

its service. If it cannot find them, of necessity

it falls back on the second-best or third-best.

With an employee turnover of about 10 per cent

monthly, government loses up to 6 5,000 em-

ployees each month and must replace them with

6 5,000 newcomers.

Task 3: To Eliminate Those Harmful To Good

Government .

We believe your main effort should be bent
toward encouraging higher purpose in those al-

ready in government, and developing it in pro-

spective government employees. If these steps can

be accomplished, the elimination of persons harm-

ful to government will be almost automatic.

government is only as good as the people in it

To sum up, in order to get better men in gov-

ernment we must encourage a deeper sense of

high purpose among government employees and

get those people into government whose character

and background are best fitted for it, and lastly

by keeping a vigilant eye out for those who are

inefficient or subversive.

36



III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

This subject "Better Men Make Better Govern-

ment” offers numerous possibilities for discussion.

The following points may suggest questions that

are personal to you:

1. Why is it that so many are interested in

"chasing out” inefficient workers or those

bent on evil and show so little concern about

"chasing in” those who are well qualified?

2. How many ways can you think of to impress

upon the general public that government, no

matter how ideal, can never be any better

than the people who staff it?

3. What measures can be taken to eliminate

inefficient, wasteful or unnecessary (as well

as disloyal) workers from all branches of

government service, while protecting those

who are doing a conscientious job?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. An excellent way to encourage better work-

ers to stay in government as well as to get

intp that field is to commend them for any

job well done. It instills in them a greater

sense of purpose. A personal letter to such
an individual or to your local newspaper

about him can have far reaching effect.

2. Circulate the important idea that the one

place above all where those of doubtful or

questionable loyalty should not be is in gov-

ernment. The standard of George Washing-

ton "Only Americans on guard tonight
”

should prevail in a particular way in every

phase of government.

V. Closing Prayer
A

37



SESSION 4

WHAT ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN DO

I. Opening Prayer (All say together- see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

Recently a lady in the midwest reviewed The

Christopher book, "You Can Change The World

”

for a women’s organization of the Presbyterian

Church to which she belonged. She laid special

stress on the part that Christian women should

play in bettering politics.

Next she brought the Christopher idea to a

study club of which she happened to be a mem-

ber. "She ended the program,” one lady wrote,

"with an earnest appeal to the club, which is

seventy years old and which has always adhered

to intellectual pursuits for their own sake, to come

out of its ivory tower and be a real force for good
”

A political committee subsequently was formed
among the women of the church. Its purpose was

to inject Christian principles into government

life. It formed a "get out the vote” program be-

fore a recent election.

One member made a brief speech on "What

Just One Vote Can Do.” Announcement was

made that baby sitters and transportation would

be provided for all who could not go to the polls

38



otherwise. This resulted, on election day, in a

man just out of the hospital and a woman almost

blind calling the chairman for transportation and

casting votes that would not have been possible

without this arrangement.

by telephone

A telephone squad undertook to phone the en-
tire church membership either the evening before

or the morning of election day. This effort was

well received and praised by the members. And if

there was a member of the church who didn’t

vote, the committee doesn’t know who it was.

At the next meeting of the committee, a woman

who had recently moved into the community told

the chairman: "After your talk, I went right to

the village hall and registered. I never would have

bothered if it hadn’t been for what you said.”

Another said: "Entirely because of what you told

us that day, I accepted a job on a campaign

committee I didn’t feel like taking, and have been

working getting out literature and helping in

every way possible ever since.”

a handful could do it

St. Paul said: "Be not overcome by evil
,
but

overcome evil by good

”

(Romans: 12:21) His

words were never more appropriate than they are

today. The future of America will probably be

determined—for better or for worse—by a small
handful of people who are dedicated to a cause

bigger than themselves.

A comparative few, fired with the love of God
and country may be able to overcome the evil

forces that now threaten to engulf us. One of the

many hopeful features of our Christopher work is

to find countless persons who, with just a little

encouragement, suddenly become imbued with a

high sense of purpose and often do a more thor-

ough and constructive job in civic circles than

those who have engaged in this work over a long

period of time.

39



We believe that the best way to show what can
be done in government is to point out what has

been done by individuals who already have accom-

plished more than a little in helping to change the

world for the better.

Here are just a few of the numerous examples

of what one person can do that have come to our

attention here at Christopher headquarters. God

willing, they should prove to be practical inspira-

tions to all those who are wondering, "what

can I do in a concrete way to serve better my
God and country?”

proved by doing

One man who confessed to us that he had at

first been somewhat skeptical "about the prac-

ticality of the Christopher approach,” found when

he put that approach to the test that it "really

worked.” In his letter to us he wrote:

"Last December when I decided to give it a

trial, I was surprised. With no political back-

ground or influence, I wrote to the newly formed

E. S. A. and offered my services as an attorney. I

had served as an enforcement attorney with the

old OPA for about two years and while there had
become disillusioned about the viewpoint of those

who were formulating the policy of that organiza-

tion. I left to return to private practice.

"When I made my decision to go back into

government, however, I was astonished that my

offer was accepted. Within the last two weeks I

have been appointed Chief Enforcement Attorney

for the E. S. A. in Although the salary I

will receive in government service will nowhere

approach my earnings in private practice, I feel

that I have a real opportunity to carry into effect

the Christopher ideal.”

midwestern style

A lawyer in the midwest has been doing his

share too. Seven years ago he gave up a lucrative

practice to do what he felt was his duty. He has

always been a man of deep spiritual convictions

40



and has led a very religious life. He felt a special

obligation, therefore, to work for the common

good of all and not merely for his own private

advantage. He became Judge of the Circuit Court.

His record on that bench has been an enviable one.

Difficulties confronting him have been many, but

there has always been a deep consoling satisfaction

of knowing he has had the privilege, through his

work, of solving many problems for his fellowman

and of leaving the world a bit better for his being

in it.

a 25 cent start

In a talk not long ago in Washington, a newly

elected member of the U. S. Congress from the

South claimed that a pocketsize edition of "You

Can Change the World”, which he picked up at

a newstand, sparked him to make a try. The going

was not easy for him. But he kept fighting, and

to his surprise, he was elected.

a press of his own

The importance of a clerical post in a town or

village cannot be over-estimated. One young man

we know who had caught the Christopher idea,

made it his business to concern himself directly

with the government of the village in which he

lived. He knew little when he started, as shown

from the fact that he had to ask one of the local

policemen where a certain political organization

had its headquarters. After that, however, he took

it upon himself to attend the next organization

meeting and there he discovered how generally

apathetic the others were to matters which vitally

concerned them.

Using his initiative, he bought a mimeograph

machine and, with a friend of his, he printed

handbills calling on the hundreds of members to

bring about a change in the organization. He
aroused so much interest in the village generally
that party officials began a house-cleaning all on

their own.

41



no handicap here

A young marine veteran, wounded at Iwo Jima,
heard a lot of people complaining about bad pol-

itics in their district, but nobody appeared to be

doing anything about it. He plans to run for dis-

trict leader. He says that he expects it to be a

"tough fight”, but that he is encouraged by a

growing number of persons who are surprised and

delighted that someone like himself is taking a

stand.

perspective does it

Another young man, whose specialty is per-

sonnel work, recently gave up his job in a West

Coast department store. He went into the same

type of work in his state government because he

was convinced of the greater good he could do

there. Moreover, he intends to stay in the govern-

ment service, even though his new post means a

slight reduction in pay. He realizes that through

his presence in the vast sphere of our government

he may be able to make some little contribution

towards maintenance of sound administration. In

personnel work, especially, he has endless oppor-

tunities to see that only loyal, efficient Americans

are employed.

how to get results - - while teaching

A school teacher in Kentucky, alarmed at the

disrespectful attitude toward government workers

by many in her community, is doing her bit in the

field of government. As she related in a letter to

us:

"Since being caught up with the Christopher

idea, I’ve been hammering away here at the boys

to take up careers in the vital fields, especially in

government. It’s hard getting a new idea into

people’s heads. Most of them are interested in get-

ting just a job and politics seems off somewhere

on Mars to most of them—indeed, sometimes it
seems as if I could say that about all of them. But

I’ll keep at it until they graduate. I feel confident

42



that some of these boys will go into careers where

they can influence others for the better.”

to build rather than destroy

Then there’s the young Air Force officer, who

had been assigned to making pictures connected

with the atomic bomb tests during World War II,

and who had his own post-war future pretty well

in mind. He was a writer, and with a good deal of

experience to his credit, he had a line on several

Hollywood jobs before he left the Army.

But after he had laid aside his uniform, he be-

gan to think of what his experiences in the Army

had taught him. He had learned a great deal about

the destructiveness of the atomic bomb—now he
began to think of its peacetime possibilities. The

more he thought, the more he became convinced

that he personally had to do something about it.

Yet, on the other hand, there was Hollywood and

the kind of writing job he had dreamed about.

He wrestled with his conscience for a long time.

Finally, he sat down and wrote a letter to the

atomic energy commission in Washington.

The answer came by return mail. The commis-

sion had been searching for just such a man. He

was needed urgently—could he report immediately?
He did—and he’s there at this writing—turn-

ing out films that show the limitless peacetime

possibilities of atomic energy. He’s doing the work

of three or four men—it’s that kind of job—but
he’s happy in what he’s doing because he has a

purpose.

it could be you

Each one of these citizens came from various

sections of our country—large cities, villages and
towns. Their jobs ranged from Congressman and

lawyer to personnel worker and village clerk. By

catching the Christopher ideal, their jobs—their
entire lives—have become filled with a new life-
giving purpose. In every instance each went into

a post of his own choosing.

43



For most of them, the price of doing a worth-

while job will not be a small one. There are bound

to be heartaches and heartbreaks. But in the midst

of it all there will be that deep sense of satisfac-

tion in knowing that they have served the high

cause of God and country.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

You may have ideas of your own that you wish

to propose for discussion. If not, you may care to

consider these.

1. What individual in government service is

your ideal of what all should be?

2. How can a greater sense of individual initia-
tive and personal responsibility be conveyed to a

person already in public affairs but who is listless

and apathetic because he has no goal other than

self?

3. What ways and means can you suggest to

get more individuals of character and competence

to undertake a career in government?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. Keep repeating in the home, church, school,

and every place where people gather that govern-

ment can never be any better than the individuals

who staff it—that the “players make the team.”
Point out, therefore, that the only way to improve

it is to get better “players.”

2. A Minnesota newspaper headlined not long
ago: “5 Declined to run For Municipal Post”. It

captioned the story of how five citizens refused to

be candidates for a municipal court judgeship.

Bring to the attention of as many as you can that

if enough individuals shirk personal responsibility

in such important matters the running of govern-

ment may go by default to those who are poorly

qualified or even subversive.

V. Closing Prayer

44



SESSION 5

PROTECT YOUR MATERIAL BLESSINGS

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration ( 10 Minutes)

A young American who attended a Communist
training school in Moscow in the mid-thirties re-

ports that the school stressed that Communists

feel they have two major obstacles in their efforts

to dominate the United States. The first is religion,

which gives mankind faith and hope in God as

a Supreme Authority above the state. The second is

the savings of the American “middle class.” With

these two factors eliminated, Communists believe

their goal of world domination would be much

nearer realization.

The American readily understood Communist

opposition to religion because religion reminds

everyone not only of his eternal destiny and his

social obligations here below, but also that one of

the primary functions of the state is to preserve

the fundamental rights he receives from God and

God alone. In the Declaration of Independence

and the Constitution the derivation of these rights

from the Almighty is clearly and specifically

stated.

45



a double strength

The student, however, was somewhat astonished

to learn that elimination of "middle-class” sav-

ings ranked as the No. 2 objective in the minds

of his Soviet teachers. Upon reflection, he saw

that savings were a bulwark against the economic

adversity on which Communism thrives. To the

downtrodden, the "What have I got to lose?” ar-

gument carries strong appeal. They can easily be

persuaded that Communism is no worse than their

present state, and might be better. The man with

even moderate possessions does not swallow the

propaganda so easily.

The type of American most feared by the Com-

munists, then, is the type who recognizes the need

for the practice of religion as well as a basic min-

imum of material security.

The mistake the Communists make, however,

is the failure to see that ours is not a class-divided

society. The great majority of Americans are mem-

bers of the coveted "middle class”, they speak

about. As well as the self employed and the white-

collar worker, our "middle class” includes auto

workers, salesmen, teachers, garage mechanics,

railroad workers, farmers, and so many others.

Also, it is the aim of our government to see that

all who wish them may have the opportunity to

procure these goods for themselves. It is the pride

of America that it is perhaps the only world power

in human history in which the majority of its

citizens are "middle class” or can reasonably aspire

to it—where both an aristocracy and a proletariat
have no place.

When we speak, therefore, of the "middle class”,

mentioned in Moscow, we refer to the status of the

average American. In this way, the Communists

are very right: as long as we maintain our faith

in God and protect our "middle class” savings,

their plan to overthrow us has little chance of

success.

46



advantages many, delects lew

While there are more than a few defects in our

economic system which should be corrected, and

positive reforms are needed, yet most Americans

enjoy a standard of living considerably higher

than the average person in the rest of the world.

Almighty God has certainly blessed the United

States with a productive capacity and material

assets far exceeding that of any other country. We
have natural resources in various stages of develop-

ment and a huge productive machine which gives

us employment at reasonable wages. True, some are

not yet receiving an adequate wage and it is the

job of all of us to see that they do. Nevertheless,

the earnings of the American people as a whole

are the envy of the entire world.

you are a stockholder

Why, then, should we worry about how wisely

the government spends or whether our resources

are sufficiently protected? Because our govern-

ment is the biggest business in the world today.

American government, federal, state and local

is the largest customer of all other forms of Amer-

ican enterprise. In the next fiscal year it will spend

more than 71 billion dollars. Each of us is a stock-

holder in that government.

The spending policies of our government there-

fore have both domestic and international reac-

tions. These policies affect you as an individual.

And, with increased taxes, government spending

will affect you more in the future than it has in

the past. It is for you to do your part in seeing

that all such spending is done wisely.

you pay the bill

It is up to you to decide whether your taxes

are too much or too little. You are the taxpayer.'

You support the government. Government in.it-

47



self has no inexhaustible bank account. It derives

its income solely from its citizens, for it has no

other source of funds but your earnings . You have

a financial stake in the country. For better or for

worse, it is your business.

Literally, none of us can afford to be indif-

ferent toward government spending. The money

comes out of our pockets just as surely as the

butcher’s bill or the milkman’s weekly collection.

Today the American citizen is constantly de-

manding bigger and better service from his gov-

ernment. But where does the government obtain

the money to render these services? From the

people. The citizen pays for each government

service he receives—whether it be social security,
veterans’ benefits or similar services. If he does

not pay for it personally , other citizens like him

pay for it.

taxes and debt

The rubble of World War II has already left

each person on earth $1,708 in debt. The Amer-

ican people must wake up, and fast, in order to

avert economic disaster.

Some of our taxes, like the income tax, are

clearly visible. Others, like the tax on your car,

your television set or your handbag are not so ap-

parent. It is important to remember that these

hidden taxes that we notice the least are the ones

we pay the most—every day of the year.
They show up just the same in the government

tax collections at the end of the year. And it is

your pocketbook they come from. That is reason

enough for you to be constantly on the job to see

that a dollar’s worth of value is gotten out of

every dollar paid in taxes.

However, two factors may push up costs still

higher:

1. The demands of national security in time

of emergency.

48



2. The demand of most Americans for in-

creased benefits from their government.

Yet this should not b£ a reason for relaxing our

vigilance but rather for increasing it.

watch the spending

In approaching the problem, you can apply the

same sense of proportion and economy that you

use in your home, shop, factory, office, in buying

a suit of clothes or taking a vacation. No matter

how urgent the need or how much you desire it,

you know you should not spend any more than

you possess—or at least avoid going into debt that
you cannot carry.

Don’t ever take the attitude there is nothing

you can do about our national economy, that you

are too small to count. Time and time again, one

person, making his voice heard has been able to

bring about a more efficient apportionment of

funds in city, state and federal government and

not infrequently to cause those who are admin-

istering public funds to curtail unnecessary ex-

penses.

As Americans, we have no excuse for failing

to have, the best government in the world. It was

founded upon Divine Truth, and we pay more

for it than any people ever paid for government.

God does not bless those who are negligent or

wasteful of their blessings.

a pointed warning

Only recently the Holy See warned Spaniards

against the dangers of "inflation” and "excessive

taxes” which, it pointed out, kill the "spirit of

saving” and thus prevent the formation of a strong

"middle class”. This warning was given through

Msgr. J. B. Montini, substitute Secretary of State.

Referring to the "middle class” as a large and

varied one, he also included in his statement the

following which is well worthy of note: "Its

members come from industry and farms, trades

49



and business, they are clerical workers and career

people. They represent a great part of the popula-

tion with characteristics of their own and whose

social influence deserves special attention.

“The proper characteristics of this class is eco-

nomic independence by means of which it is pos-

sible for it to attain social stability and the pro-

duction of wealth, thus bringing about a harmon-

ious balance between personal work and private

property.

“Through his own efforts and work, the -mid-

dle-class* man preserves his autonomy and dignity,

without having to beg for his living.

“By means of private assets he attains a whole-

some and just distribution of property which thus

retains a character of responsibility without fall-

ing into forms of corporate collectivism and pre-

serves its true function as a pillar of the social

order.”

to summarize

As individuals we have two big legacies, one of

moral wealth and one of material wealth. Our

enemies seek to destroy us by destroying these two

inheritances.

Shall we aid our enemies with our own indif-

ference and apathy towards what our government

does?

You can help supply the right answer. As an

individual citizen you should seek to strengthen

the moral and economic foundations of your gov-

ernment. You can do much to encourage the

spiritual and material stability that it must have

in order to endure.

i i 1

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

As we have said before, each one should feel

free to formulate his own questions if those such

as the following do not strike you or the other

members as appropriate for your circumstances.

50



1. How many of you know the total debt of

your country? Your state? Your community?

2. From personal experience, you know how far

you can go into debt and still avoid bankruptcy.

To what extent do you think your government

can operate "in the red” without plunging into

an economic collapse from which we may never

recover?

3. What can you do, individually, to bring

about reasonable economies in government?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

Christ has commanded us all to shout "from

the housetops” the truths that make us free. The

topic that you have just read and discussed offers

numerous opportunities to pass on by "word of

mouth” some practical information on problems

that can make or break our country.

Select any point you like and try spreading it

in your home, church, school, office, farm or fac-

tory. For instance, you can show that many of

us may be playing into the hands of the Com-

munists by a wasteful attitude toward our God-

given material blessings, and thus bring about in-

flation, depression, over-spending, etc. Spreading

just one fact like this can arouse many to do

something about it.

V. Closing Prayer

51



SESSION 6

BEGINNINGS OF GOVERNMENT

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

A legend goes that one day Frederick the Great
of Prussia was walking along a road on the out-

skirts of Berlin when accidentally he brushed

against a very old man. "Who are you?” asked

Frederick out of idle curiosity as the two met.

"I am a king”, the old man answered.

"A king?” echoed Frederick. "Over what prin-

cipality do you reign?”

"Over myself”, was the proud reply, "I rule

myself because I control myself. I am my own

subject to command”.

The beginning of all government is within

each individual. The more he sees the necessity of

governing himself, the more likely he is to see the

need for direction and guidance through govern-

ment in his relations with others.

Government comes easier to those with a spir-

itual background. They realize that they are chil-

dren of God and heirs of heaven. They have

52



learned the need for self-respect, self-improve-

ment, self-reliance and self-discipline.

As children of God they are constantly re-

minded by Christ Himself that "Thou shalt love

thy neighbor as thyself And although this often

runs counter to their own selfish interests, they

have learned by many a sad lesson that men en-

joy the peace given here on earth in much the

same measure as they show interest in the well-

being of others.

can't get along without it

Difficult as it may be for man to put up with

government of any kind, history shows he can’t

get along without some form of it, even in the

most primitive society. Whether he realizes it or

not, a man is a political and social animal. He is

a product of group living under all its legitimate

restraints which are invoked to preserve the com-

mon good.

Man is born of a group — the family — and
gets his entire training and means of livelihood in

a group — the home, the farm, the school, the
community. Without group living his survival

would be difficult indeed, with few if any oppor-

tunities to develop his talents and strive for the

pursuit of happiness.

The very laws of nature remind man that the

order essential for the survival of the family was

even more necessary when a number of families,

early in history gathered together in a clan, a

tribe, or a colony. At the very outset such a merg-

ing of interests took place as a matter of course

since it immediately became apparent that cer-

tain measures would have to be taken for the

health, safety and general well-being of everyone,

their job to serve

Since most of the people had to be busy run-

ning their homes, doing the farming, building,

carrying on trade or engaged in other occupations

necessary for their livelihood, they chose others

to act for them in the performance of the ele-

53



mentary duties vital for the preservation and con-

tinuance of the community. For this those thus

employed to conduct the public affairs were

provided with adequate support for their daily

sustenance.

Yet even then it was recognized that if this

arrangement was to work out satisfactorily, every-

one involved would have to keep ever conscious

of the role of those individuals set aside to rep-

resent the community. It had to be borne in mind

at all times that in whatever capacity they acted,

*they were employed by the majority to serve their

best interests.

servants not masters

In the full sense of the term, they were public

servants, charged with the responsibility of serv-

ing the public. They were made to understand

that whatever authority they possessed was dele-

gated to them by the people themselves. They

were to be servants not masters.

But this concept of government is based on

Christian ideals. It took many centuries before

it became a working reality.

the Mosaic law

More than 3000 years ago one man who pos-

sessed a deep reverence for God devoted his life

to bringing peace and order to his people. He

realized that to have law and order among them

they would need some plan or code as a basis for

self-government. He knew that he did not have

the wisdom or the ability to make such a plan.

In his humility this man, a young Hebrew

called Moses, appealed to the Almighty for assist-

ance. God rewarded his trust and gave him the

Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone.

They were to be the basis of government down

through the ages, and a guide to keep each and

every one reminded of his obligations to his fel-

lowman and his Creator.

By sacrificing himself for the common good of

all, Moses showed how one individual might

54



change the destiny of a whole people for the bet^

ter. Through these Ten Commandments of God,

not only did Moses bring his brethren out of their

enslavement in Egypt, but he made them a free

and independent nation, the first to honor and

worship a single God.

But having a code of laws, even from God Him-

self, doesn’t automatically solve the problem of

giving society that order on which harmony and

peace depend. More than knowledge is necessary.

The will to do must follow.

The ordinary human being usually doesn’t want

to be bothered with any control, any restraint.

All through history he has shown a tendency to

resist control, and even revolt against it when it

runs counter to his own inclinations.

lessons from history

The Greeks were the first to recognize the need

for joining together to produce effective govern-

ment. Anyone interested in the origins of govern-

ment would do well to look back into early Greek

history. Greek society expanded into a complex

structure and the need of a small group of rulers

or "kings” was created. Rule under them finally

became intolerable and the people chose Solon to

write a code of laws to improve conditions. It

stands as a landmark in the history of government.

Solon’s code not only protected the people but

forced the average citizen to take a personal in-

terest in his government. Thus were sown the

first seeds of democratic government.

The next great civilization which developed

was the Roman Empire some 5 00 years later. Also

founded on a code of laws, this nation was to rule

the then known world. To be a Roman citizen

was considered a prize treasured above all else.

But as the Greek experiment before it, the

Roman Empire suffered from human defects which

eventually brought about its destruction. It be-

came a dictatorship, its morals vanished and its

culture disappeared.

5 5



the Christian contribution

Outwardly the rule of Rome brought order, but

it was an order founded on force and power. It

was an order that benefited only the Roman citi-

zen; the rest of the world was in slavery. A new
idea of the dignity of the human person had to ap-

pear before freedom could come to all people.

At this point in history God became man and

reminded men that they were made to His own

image and that they were endowed with immortal

souls, and therefore, could never be lawfully

trampled on or degraded by any government. All

hufnan institutions were to help him attain his

eternal destiny.

On two occasions during His life Christ gave

directives to serve as guides for all the governments

of the world. While standing on trial for His life,

confronted by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor,

in order to show the source of all governmental

authority, He said, "Thou shouldst not have power

against Me unless it were given thee from above”.

(John 19:11).

And in order to emphasize that government has

its own proper sphere of activity, and in reply to a

question about the coin of^ tribute, He said,

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and

to God the things that are God’s”. (Luke 20:25 )

.

The Christian contribution then was definite

and clear and all good government after the time

of Christ would have to accept it. In general, it

can be reduced to 3 points:

a) the human person is sacred and has inalien-

able rights;

b) all authority is from God;

c) all legitimate governments have an inde-

pendence and proper authority.

the year 1776

In the momentous year 1776 a great advance

was made toward true Christian democracy in the

American Declaration of Independence which pro-

vided the basis for our American Constitution.

56



After many failures and partial successes mankind

had at last put Christian democratic principles into

an actual government.

the essence of democracy

In almost the same words as the great theologians

of the Middle Ages and the XVI Century, Thomas

Jefferson and the Founding Fathers wrote:

a) Man is "endowed by his Creator with certain

inalienable rights.”

b) It is the function of government "to secure

these rights.”

c) Rulers receive their authority and power

"from the consent of the governed.”

The Founding Fathers made it clear that the

purpose of all political leaders was to serve the best

interests of the majority of the people. In the full

sense of the term, the heads of our government

were public servants, charged with the respons-

ibility of serving the public.

where responsibility belongs

For example, we, as members of the public, give

the power to make laws to our elected representa-

tives; we assign the tax-collecting function to the

collectors, and turn over the administration of

justice to our judges.

The delegation of authorities like this is a matter

of convenience for each of us. Flowever, our re-

sponsibility doesn’t stop there.

Turning over authority to someone else and then

forgetting all about it is not discharging the func-

tions of citizenship. We must remember always
that our rights impose an obligation on each of us

to see that those rights are properly exercised.

As long as every one in the community did his

share, and those entrusted with the running of

government clearly understood that it was their

job to serve the best interests of all as a public

trust, good government for all usually resulted.

But as soon as the people of the community failed

to see that this was done, then those who should

serve became the masters.

57



It is this lack of interest by the people that can

lead to the weakening and downfall of any govern-

ment. As Americans we must see that this does

not happen here.

i i 1

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

Here are a few questions that your group may

wish to discuss. Each one should feel free to submit

in preference questions of his own choosing.

1. The phrase "our priceless heritage” is fre-

quently used. What is your understanding of

that expression?

2. How does our form of government derive its
strength from the spiritual and political

foundations?

3. What was the early concept of government

service and why have we lost it?

4. Can you give practical examples of how our

Christian heritage is being ignored or elim-

inated from our government at the present

time?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. One of the best ways to refresh yourself on

the beginnings of government in America is

to read and analyze the Declaration of In-

dependence.

2. You can achieve much by asking friends and

acquaintances when they last read the

Declaration. You will be amazed at how

many have never read it. Your asking them

may prompt them to do so and spur them on

to putting the same question to their asso-

ciates.

3. Get as many persons as possible to check all

schools in your locality to see if the Declara-

tion of Independence is properly taught. You

can and should do this as a citizen and tax-

payer, whether or not you have any children

in these schools.

V. Closing Prayer

58



SESSION 7

POLITICS AFFECTS YOU WHETHER YOU

LIKE IT OR NOT

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration ( 10 Minutes)

A grey-haired veteran of government service,
who has been serving under both Republican and

Democratic administrations made this comment

recently:

" I come from a little town up in Vermont,” he

said, "and when I go home sometimes, Im ashamed
to say that I’m in the govecnment.”

This man has real ability and great patriotism.

He is a man who obviously could have risen to

great heights in private industry. It seemed a ter-

rible thing that he should feel ashamed to say that

he was in the service of his country!

a common mistake

Who were the people who made this man feel
ashamed? Well, they were ordinary good people in

a small town. They were like you and me—no
better, no worse. They meant no harm. But they

were doing what so many of us do—complain and
59



criticize and yet do nothing to make government

better.

What if these people made this fine government

official so ashamed, so weary of criticism that he

quit his job in government? Think what we would

have lost—a good man doing a good job.
Who knows what kind of person would have

taken his place? But whoever took his place, we

would have lost him. Could the Communists have

done more to weaken our government than the

thoughtless comments of well-meaning people? If

the majority of people continue to have such an

unfavorable and unfair attitude, how can we

possibly hope to get better people in public affairs?

What hope have we to withstand the greatest

threat in history to our nation when people upon

whom bur government must depend not only do

not take the time or effort to understand how its

political system works, but often attack it with-

out knowing all the facts?

A recent survey showed that 82% of American
parents who were asked if they would approve of

their children taking a part in politics stated em-

phatically that they would "disapprove”.

Another poll revealed that 5 out of 7 people

interviewed believe that all politicians are dishonest.

it can be changed

Can this dangerous attitude be changed? We
believe that in a comparatively short time it can

—

if enough people make it their business to "build

up” rather than "tear down”. Government "by

the people and for the people” is possible only with

an alert and intelligent electorate. For a people

to be politically indifferent is unconsciously to

lay themselves open to dictatorship.

The more the love, truth and justice of Christ

is brought into government, the less chance there

is of the opposite holding sway.

Our Christopher thesis, therefore, is that the big

job to be done with regard to all phases of activity

connected with government, is "to get good work-

60



crs in” rather than to become too preoccupied with

"chasing out” evil or questionable workers—im-
portant as that task is.

curious confirmation

This point of view was brought home in a

curious sort of way about two years ago by Artie

Samish, who has been referred to, in an article in

Collier's magazine, as 'The secret boss of Cali-

fornia." When Samish was asked what could be

done to get rid of the unusual influence that he

exercised over the legislator through lobbying, he

answered Very frankly:

"There is one way . The people must take more

interest in the men they elect
”

the public mokes them

Even those who have become successful in

politics by "political machine" methods are forced

to admit that public indifference and cynicism

was the main cause of their rise to power. No

stronger testimony is needed than this.

If the unfortunate attitude toward politics

which persists today among the majority of people

is to be changed, two things must be done. The

average citizen must become aware of how the

party system in our democracy works. Then he

must be encouraged to do something about it.

On the other hand, a survey made a few years

ago showed that 2 out of every 3 citizens said that

they would be willing to serve without pay on

civic committees to deal with housing, education,

labor-management problems, public welfare, and

other vital subjects. This is an encouraging sign,

but greater efforts must be made by all citizens to

learn the rudiments of political activities and to

take greater part in them, on a part-time, if not a

full-time basis.

what you should know

If you are going to play your rightful part in

politics, you must understand at least a few ele-

mentary ideas about its workings.

61 •



A. For the administration of government with-

in a democracy, various persons with similar ideas

gather together in groups to decide on a common

policy and to find out those among them best

fitted to apply those ideas to the running of gov-

ernment. These groups are called political parties.

The American political system is built on the

party system. It is usually distinguished from those

of other countries by being a two party system,

that is, two major parties with equal rights for

minor parties. By it we have been able to run

between the dangers and the disadvantages of a

one party rule, as those of Stalin or Hitler and the

many party system such as in France. On the one

side we have avoided dictatorship, on the other a

weakness and instability of government.

B. The backbone of political parties are the

committees . The members of these committees are

elected at various primaries and select nominees

from the President of the United States down to

local alderman.

C. The Precinct Committee is the basic one in

the mechanics of politics. They get their names

on the ballot by petitions, and are selected in

primary elections. Serving as precinct leader is one

of the best ways to begin a full-time career in

politics.

D. Next above the precinct is the ward in

urban areas; in the rural areas it is the county or

assembly district.

E. In the city the ward leaders form a city com-

mittee. This latter forms a central executive com-

mittee
y
which is responsible for party policies and

slates.

F. The county committee is equally important.

The members are usually chosen at the primaries.

There are more than 3,000 counties in the U. S.

which 45,000 officials serve.

G. The Congressional District Committee draws

on the county committees. Together they co-

ordinate their activities with the state and national

organizations.

-62



I-I. The State Committee is the next rung as-

cending the political ladder. It is supreme in the

State and is in contact with the county committees.

I. In Presidential election years the National

Committee overshadows all. It is made up of a

man and a woman from every state. It works with

the national convention committee and both em-

ploy many workers in special divisions to take care

ot the many details of the campaign.

The jobs on all the committees trom the precinct

up to the national level are held by men and women

trom all walks of life. They make politics an im-

portant interest.

what you should do

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Acquire a working knowledge of the political

set-up in your locality, city, and state.

2. Get tacts — about candidates, issues, etc.
3. Offer your services for the essential chores

and "leg work.”

4. Maintain the basic principles of morality and

fundamental Americanism.

Even if you can’t make government service a

career, you can still make your voice heard.

James A. Farley, who has had long experience

in politics, made this statement recently:

^Leaders do not spring full-blown into public

office . . . but must patiently climb to eminences

of trust through accomplished performance in po-

sitions of trust whether public or private.”

•There is a role for you and your friends to play

in the political life of our country. It’s up to you

to decide what you shall do.

politics will never be any better than

the people in it

The only way to improve politics is to encourage

more people with high ideals to take an active part

in all legitimate political activities. Then back

them in every way you can and especially by get-

ting out the vote.

63



Merely complaining about
ff

dirty

”

politics ac-

complishes little, except, perhaps, to allow it to

become "dirtier”

A man with a weak heart is only hurting him-
self if he does no more than make fun of his con-

dition and neglects it. If his heart stops, every-

thing stops.

The main strength of the enemies of democracy

is the weakness of those who would support it, but

fail to do so. ... You can certainly do something

about that.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

It is important that each one of the group feel

completely free to raise whatever question he or

she thinks pertains to the subject under considera-

tion. The following proposals are made only for

your convenience.

1. What can you do to reach out beyond your

little circle and remind the multitude that

the better the workers in politics, the better

it is for everybody?

2. Name the different ways in which individuals

like you can and should participate in legi-

timate political activities.

3 . Point out the harm done by unthinking good

people who deliberately discourage the best

type of citizen from having anything to do

with politics.

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. As far as your circumstances will allow, make
%

it your business to take an active part in

some phase of the political life upon which

our democratic form of government depends.

2. Make a list of ten men or women, regardless

of their party affiliations, who are rendering

service in the political field. Tell others about

them and encourage more to follow in their

footsteps. v

V. Closing Prayer

64



SESSION 8

VOTING - - THE FOUNDATION STONE

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

During the recent Senate Crime Investigating

Committee sessions, Senator Charles W. Tobey

questioned the underworld figure, Frank Costello,

on whit he had done to show his appreciation to

the United States for all the advantages he had

enjoyed as an immigrant to this country. At one

point the Senator asked:

"Mr. Costello, bearing in mind all that you

have gained and received in wealth, what have you

done for your country as a good citizen ?”

"Well, I don’t know what you mean by that,”

the witness squirmed. His tortured fingers locked

and unlocked on millions of television screens.

"Look back over the years,” the Senator ex-

plained, " to the time when you became a citizen.

Now—twenty years after that—you must have
in mind some things you have done that you can

speak of to your credit as an American citizen,

if so, what are they?”

An anguished pause ensued. Costello seemed

to be racking his brain for some evidence, no

matter how slight, which would identify him as a

good citizen. Finally, he said hesitatingly:

"I paid my taxes!”

65



When the laughter in the courtroom subsided,

Costello was asked if he had ever aided any Ameri-

can war effort.

"No,” he mumbled in embarrassment.

Under further questioning Costello testified

he had never voted. He justified this omission by

saying that there were millions of other Ameri-

cans who never went to the polls either.

is this you

Few members of the 30,000,000 television audi-

ence could be classed with Costello as former boot-

leggers, slot-machine manufacturers or gamblers.

But the vast majority of viewers were probably

grateful that they were not under the public spot-

light, testifying under oath as to whether or not

they vote.

As Mr. Charles Edison, former governor of New

Jersey, once said; "Citizens will die for democ-

racy
,
pay taxes for it, and give their blood for

its soldiers. But vote ? Work at democracy? It

takes a revolution or a miracle to arouse them.”

Our rights in a free democracy come to each

of us from Almighty God. It is only when we

abdicate these rights, by failing to register and

vote, that the government can become the prey of

those who neglect or betray the public interests.

No one should let his vote go by default by

failing to register and to exercise his franchise.

It may even be a serious sin of omission. You

can be sure that those who want to wreck our

country make it their business to vote in every

election. They always use freedom to destroy

freedom.

We believe that the failure of so many Ameri-
cans to live up to their obligation of voting is

not due to any malice, but simply to laziness and

the feeling, "well, what difference does one vote

make one way or another}” We believe, therefore,
that this dangerous situation can be changed by

showing each individual citizen how vitally im-

portant it is, and how the voice of the majority,

66



as expressed at the polls, is indeed the foundation

stone of our democratic way of life.

True, voting for the sake of voting only is

not enough. By itself, voting is a means to an end,

and this end is the welfare of all the people. While

the Christopher position is that everyone should

vote as he sees fit, it is equally true that when

one does vote, he should vote from more than

merely selfish motives. Good government is gov-

ernment for all. Everyone can vote for the party

or candidate of his choice, yet his ultimate aim

should be to put into office only those who will

have a concern for everyone and will bring about

better government for all the people.

everyone counts

You ask: "Well, what can 1 as a single, small

individual do about it?”

Just consider that the United States is made

up of individuals just like you— 15 0,000,000 of
them. And for a round figure, we may say that

of this number 87,000,000 are qualified voters.

How many "stay-at-homers” are there in this

group ?

Let’s take, as a recent example, the last national

election in 1948, when the Truman-Barkley ticket

ran against the Dewey-Warren ticket.

Remember, this was a national election with

four candidates running for President. Our.domes-

tic policies and our international policies depended

on the results. This election occurred at a time

when America was counted upon for world leader-

ship. The Communist threat was growing. We
were only a few years away from the outbreak

of hostilities in Korea. In all respects, the 1948

national election was one of the most important

in the history of this nation.

look at the record

With these considerations in mind, we may as-

sume that every voter qualified to cast a ballot

67



in this country actually would cast one. But what

do the figures show?

Of the 87,000,000 presumably qualified to vote,

about 40,000,000—-almost ha^f—chose not to
vote. What was the margin of victory for the

successful candidates? The actual difference in

votes between winners and losers was 2,13 5,747.

Divide the difference in half, and we see that

1,067,873 votes actually meant the margin be-

tween victory and defeat. That number of votes,

plus one, applied to either of the two major tickets,

could have spelled "Win” or "Lose”.

So we come down to the net result of apathy

and indifference of a good segment of American

voters. For a nation of 15 0,000,000 souls, a vote

slightly over 1,000,000 could decide the policies,

foreign and domestic, which will rule them for

four years.

Is this the democratic principle in practice? By

no means; the democratic principle depends for

its survival on voting by majority.

what one vote can do

Going back a little further in our own nation-

al history, we find that two of our most famous

presidents, Thomas Jefferson, and John Quincy

Adams were each elected to office by a single

vote in the Electoral College. Another president,

Rutherford B. Hayes, was elected by a single vote.

When his election was contested the matter was

referred to an electoral commission.

Again, Hayes was the winner by a single vote.

The man who cast the deciding vote for him was

a congressman from Indiana, a lawyer who had

himself been elected to Congress by a single vote.

And that one vote may have been cast for him

by a client who, though seriously ill, insisted that

he be taken to the polls.

The National Institute of Social Relations

pointed out that "in 1924 . . . one Missouri con-

gressman got in by a margin of 300 votes with

68



63,000 qualified voters in his district staying

away from the polls. A Pennsylvania congressman
nosed in by a margin of 500 votes in the same

election, with 40,000 voters not bothering to say

"yes” or "no” to him. Each one was probably

thinking "What does my vote matter?” In the

usual city or county election, only a handful of

the voters decide who is going to run local affairs,

and how. One vote counts for an awful lot in

those elections.

In the above examples, as in countless others

during the past, the rumber of persons who ac-

tually voted was far less than the number qualified

to vote.

If half of the voters stay away from the polls,

as is often the case, the successful politician will

not be responsible to any great force of public

opinion. Those who vote in the election are not

numerous enough to demand a high standard of

conduct for the office-holder to meet.

Whose fault is it, then, if we have inferior

government? The responsibility must fall upon

the individual American who tolerates this con-

dition by failure to think enough of his respon-

sibilities while insisting on his rights.

reason for hope

Dark as the picture may seem at times, it has

many hopeful aspects. Most noteworthy of these

is the gradual public acceptance of the fact that

good government requires workers of integrity

and ability. This realization has brought about a

decrease in the power of the purely political

machines. In many states, the once all-powerful

machine politicians have had their wings clipped

by the public.

In addition, more citizens are becoming con-

vinced that the individual must make his voice

heard in behalf of the general good. The one tie

that should bind all together is common interest

69



in honest and efficient government at all levels.

Going further, we realize that government in-

fluences our daily lives not only as local residents,

but as residents of a county, a state and a nation

as well.

Try as we may, we cannot divorce ourselves

from government. Our best course, then, is to

adopt a sense of personal responsibility toward it

which will produce the best government at the

least possible expense.

Voting and "getting out the vote” is not the

total answer to the problem but it is the first and

indispensable step in a democracy like ours.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

In an effort to be helpful we suggest points

of discussion such as the following for each ses-

sion. But they should always be considered as

secondary to those that members of the group

may propose.

1. There is an old French saying "the absent

are always wrong”. How does this apply to
the citizen who fails to register and go to

the polls?

2. Since failing to register automatically elim-

inates the possibility of voting, what can

you do to arouse more people to the necessi-

ty of registering?

3. Why is it that so many people neglect to

vote at the Primaries? What is the resulting

harm?

4. Why is it those who strive to destroy our

form of government are eager to vote at

every election and to encourage the good

citizens to stay away from the polls.

70



IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. You can do much by persuading everyone

within your reach to register early and vote

at all elections, especially at the Primaries.

2. An effective way of reminding people of

the widespread failure, especially on the part

of those who benefit the most by our de-

mocracy, is to make an investigation of your

own.

A young lady in St. Louis who did this said:
"In our block only 5 families out of 20 had

registered. Of these 5 , it turned out that 2

husbands had not bothered to register. One woman

who both registered and voted was a native born

Russian. Of all the people we checked only one

said how proud she was to be able to vote.—

A

little old lady, a native of Sweden, who was very

enthusiastic but a little shy and embarrassed about

going to the polls because she didn’t see too well.

Of those that turned up on election day, a good

percentage were foreign-born. One outstanding

family, all Greeks, arrived together with their

sons and daughters-in-law.”

V. Closing Prayer

71



SESSION 9

CITY GOVERNMENT DEPENDS ON YOU

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

A few years ago a friend met the mayor of New
York one Friday night in Madison Square Garden.

Then, as now, Friday night was a "fight night” at

the Garden.

"What kind of a job is it to be Mayor of New

York?” he asked him.

"Well, it’s something like the championship bout

we’re going to see,” was the Mayor’s reply. "A

boxer steps into the ring at the Garden trained as

finely as experienced hands can make him. All

through his training he has had the good counsel

and wise advice of old-timers in the ring who

know every angle of the game.

"If he gets into trouble during the bout, he has

skilled seconds who know how to get him out.

Their keen eyes are alert for any sign of weakness

in his opponent. Through long experience they

know how to take advantage of an opponent’s

weakness.

72



"Now — with all this sound preparation — he
comes in here to fight a main bout at ten o’clock

on a Friday night. The referee calls both boxers

to the center of the ring and makes sure that they

understand the rules. Then both boxers go back

to their own corners. Then they ring a little bell

for the start of the first round. And — when that
little bell rings — you are on your own

!

That’s

the kind of a job it is to be Mayor of New York.”

The comparison was apt. A boxer’s seconds and

handlers could be compared to the political ad-

visers around a candidate. The public—personified
by the referee-—is there to see that any man gets a
square deal if he abides by the. rules.

just good housekeeping

Running a city government seems, to the out-

sider, a complex and mystifying business. The

purpose of this session is to remind the average

citizen that it is essentially simple, with little mys-

tery about it. Only a few phases of city govern-

ment can be touched on in this short space, but

they may suffice to encourage you to do further

investigating of your own.

Any American housewife should have the funda-

mentals of city administration at her fingertips.

If she sweeps her sidewalk; disposes of her garbage;

checks her water supply; makes sure of proper

schooling for her children; and protects the life

and property of her family, she is doing what every

city government does. The only difference is that

she performs her daily tasks as an individual.

The city does the same things on a much larger

scale. City administration is essentially a house-

keeping job. And there are many skilled house-

wives who feel justified in believing that they

could do a better job of running their cities than

the city administration does.

If you are to play an active, intelligent part in

local government, whether you live in a small town

or a large city, it is important that you first be-

come acquainted with its assets and its liabilities,

i

73



the individual can do much

In the final analysis, it is the individual in each

case who has to make the decisions and suffer for

them if they are wrong; benefit by them if they

are right. The individual can do much to control

the ultimate decisions of his city’s administration.

One city resident concerned about his city’s

growing indebtedness consulted an expert and

learned how to analyze the figures in his city’s

budget. At that time his city was being run by

one of the nation’s most notorious politicians.

Within a few days the well-prepared citizen went

to a budget hearing to ask some pointed questions.

When he asked them, the police threw him out.

Not easily discouraged, the same civic worker

turned up for the budget hearing the following

year. Once more he was evicted, but this time,
j

more gently. In the end, his efforts succeeded. He

was elected to a city post where his persistent pur-

suit of good government made substantial and

beneficial changes in his city.

a good barometer

"Taxation for revenue only” is still a sound

principle. Sound economists have enumerated the

rule that two extremes should be avoided: first,

for a city to carry a surplus of income over ex-

penditures which would serve as a soft cushion, or

second, to borrow on future generations by floating

bonds for present indebtedness. They say every

city should operate on a "pay as you go” basis.

Cities should not have surpluses of incbme over

expenditures. Still, they manage to wind up the

year with a surplus. How do they do it? Chiefly
by underestimating tax receipts. Budget-makers

almost never shave down to the last penny. As

an individual, you can check last year’s tax

estimate against the amount actually collected. If

you find the "cushion,” that will tell you what to

do about this year’s estimate.

look into this

Items of "miscellaneous expenses” in a city
,

74



budget always warrant careful scrutiny. If the

expenses are legitimate, there is no reason why

they should not be itemized. Another point worth

investigating is "transfers from accrued funds.”

A salary account, for example, may not be fully

used in a year because of deaths, retirements or

transfers of employees. Many cities take these

"accruals” out ot the account they were voted for,

and use them to pay for new jobs or new services

not included in the original budget. On a day’s

calendar of city business, the°"transfer of accruals”

item may look harmless. But sometimes it isn’t,

still paying

You should also know something about the use

of city bonds for major improvements, as against

the use of cash on a pay-as-you-go basis. On some

New York City bonds issued for a fifty-year term,

for instance, each bond dollar has cost the tax-

payers $2.53 — more than two and a half times
as much. Still, when your city wants to build a

school, the chorus always goes up:

"Let's finanee it with a bond issue and reduce

the taxes."

To the voters, the bond issue sounds attractive.

They figure they won’t be around when the due-

date arrives, so perhaps their grandchildren will

pay it.

New York is still paying on bonds originally
issued to build a bridge in Brooklyn. The bridge

has long since been demolished and replaced, but

the bond payments go on still.

After World War I, New York State issued
state bonds to pay a bonus to the veterans of that

war. The last of these bonds was retired in 1949,

thirty-two years later.

everyone eounts

Every city administration has within its ranks

thousands of hard-working, good-living employees

who do their honest best for the city that employs

them. These are the "career employees,” the wheel-

horses who perform the actual work of running

75



the city and perform it well. By and large, they

are motivated by a love of God and country.

The positions they hold have been gained usually

after a lifetime of plugging through one com-

petitive civil service examination after another.

As a group they exercise the responsibility for

good city administration regardless of the party

in political power at the moment.

Many of these individuals have literally devoted

a lifetime to the study of city administration. It

is not uncommon to find an unsung accountant

who can rattle off budget figures for a series of

years without hesitation.

A fire captain may invent a new type of hose
nozzle useful in fighting stubborn fires under-

neath wooden piers. A police officer may develop
a new time-saving technique in police administra-

tion. Even a street sweeper may figure out a

better type of broom than the one that has been

used for years.

new methods step up efficiency

Cities are the same as any large enterprise.

Methods of governing tend to become static as

the old-timer teaches the newcomer the same

methods that were used in the distant past. It is

to your interest, as a citizen and taxpayer, to in-

sist on the most efficient methods possible and to

see that the cost of government is cut without

cutting the essential services it provides.

That can be done by discarding old techniques •

in favor of newer methods. If your city keeps its

tax records and sends out its tax bills by hand,

perhaps it could benefit by installing business

machines. Take a good look at the methods your

town uses to buy materials. Most purchasing sys-

tems are so cumbersome that it costs more to

make out purchasing forms and certifications than

the article purchased is worth.

Another angle to watch is city specifications

so drawn as to exclude all but one favored product.

The specifications should read so that a number

of products may fit them, and not merely one

76



that has a political connection. Many cities have

found it economical to centralize all their pur-

!

chasing activities in one purchasing agency which

buys for all departments and offices. Dishonest

politicians don’t like that idea.

test of real loyalty

There are endless possibilities to serve the com-

mon good in the field of city government. There

is little glamor in most of the jobs and often little

thanks or appreciation is shown for the devotion

and energy that has been expended over a long

period of years in this area of public service. But

that is the test of real loyalty to God and country

—to carry on despite lack of recognition.
i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

For this session we recommend that, if you

have no other preference, you consider as points

of discussion some or all of the suggestions listed

below under "Practical Application
”

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. Arouse popular interest in municipal affairs.

2. Watch for undemocratic and dishonest elec-

tion methods.

3. Object to unnecessary centralization of power

in any part of the government.

4. Keep an eagle-eye for all forms of graft and

corruption.

5. Point out the need for new methods in gov-

ernment and wastefulness of antiquated sys-

tems.

6. Study the records of all candidates for

office.

7. Keep honesty and public service uppermost

in your own mind, and in the minds of all

city officials.

8. Pray for the courage always to stand for

what is right in civic affairs and to condemn

what is wrong.

V. Closing Prayer

77



SESSION 10

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

Dorothea Lynde Dix gave an excellent example

more than a century ago of how one individual

can affect the course of state government. As a

writer of children’s stories and devotional works,

she paid a chance visit to a jail in East Cambridge,

Mass., at the age of thirty-nine.

She found that the mentally ill were mingling

together with felons and minor criminals as was

the common practice at the time. The conditions

and treatment of the insane so aroused her indigna-

tion that she sat down and wrote a strong protest

to the Bay State legislature.

"I come,” she wrote, "to present the strong

claims of suffering humanity. I come as the ad-

vocate of helpless, forgotten, insane and idiotic

men and women, of beings wretched in our prisons

and more wretched in our almshouses. I proceed,

gentlemen, briefly to call your attention to the

state of insane persons confined in this Common-

wealth in cages, closets, cellars, stalls, pens:

chained, naked, beaten with rods and lashed into

obedience.”

Her plea struck the conscience of the legislature

and people. Massachusetts soon enlarged its State

Hospitals for the Insane. But Miss Dix was not

content. She visited eighteen other states to make

78



a similar appeal. Eight states
responded and estab-

lished similar hospitals and others,
several of which,

like Massachusetts already had mental
hospital sys-

tems previously, humanized their
methods of treat-

ment.

the state and you

Many of us know in a general way
that the

state stands between local and
national govern-

ment. But consider how the state
figures in your

life.
,

If you drive a car, it is registered
by the state,

your driving license is issued by
the state, and the

major highway you drive over has
been built> by

the state.
.

The state has many functions in our
everyday

affairs. Its main tasks are education,
highways and

welfare, although there are many other
spheres of

its activity.

As a parent, some duties to
your children are

prescribed by the state. Your children
may go to

schools constructed partly by state
aid and study

under teachers whose qualifications
are set by the

state. To advance and graduate,
your children

must meet certain minimum educational
require-

ments established by the state.

The state will not permit you to work in
an un-

healthy or poorly constructed
building, because it

; sets standards for factory and office
building con-

struction.
.

Through its penal code the state decides
what is

law-abiding conduct and what is criminal.
In civil

law the state protects your rights in
its state courts,

in many ways

When you die, the state regulates what disposi-

tion will be made of your property. It will
tax you

for state purposes, and rebate part
of the yield to

your local community for local improvements.

If you like to hunt or fish, you
carry a state

license in most states.

The state licenses your doctor, your dentist
and

your nurse.

79



Through its state police or highway patrol your

state controls traffic on major roads ancf enforces

law and order in smaller communities. With its

inspection services it safeguards public health.

If you are a farmer., you often get a helping

hand from your state agricultural service.

Felons are incarcerated in state prisons. Thou-

sands of patients are cared for in state hospitals.

By its welfare program the state looks after the

unemployed, the aged, the indigent, and dependent

children.

Through its regulation of public utilities such as

electric and gas companies, and railroads operating

entirely within one state, the state government

exercises supervision over your daily life.

In the field of recreation your state may provide

state parks, beaches, playgrounds, and picnic areas.

All these functions follow the U. S. Constitution

and its guarantees of "life, liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness.” Like other branches of govern-

ment, states assume the duty of maintaining public

order; providing for the security of their in-

habitants; insuring equal rights among residents in

the political, social and economic fields; and offer-

ing each citizen the opportunity to develop his

maximum usefulness.

guardians of our liberties

In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson

described the relation of state and federal govern-

ment in these words:

"The support of the state governments in all

their rights, as the most competent administrations

for our domestic concerns and surest bulwarks

against anti-republican tendencies; the preservation

of the general (i.e. national) government in its

constitutional vigor as the sheet anchor of our

peace at home and safety abroad—these (are
among the principles that) form the bright con-

80



stellation which has gone before us and guided our

steps through an age of revolution and reforma-

tion.
”

dependent on the states

Even our national affairs depend to a large

degree on what the states do. A student of govern-

ment history from Rhode Island told us not long

ago that the best authorities tend to recognize our

state governments as "training schools’* for na-

tional government. He pointed out that:

1 )
two-thirds of our Presidents have served in

state legislatures;

2) the majority of our national leaders received

their political start and experience in state

government

;

3 )
state governments frequently serve as

proving grounds for testing federal acts or

laws.

Laws that have been successful among many

states have a good chance of being enacted on the

!
federal level. Laws that fail among many states

will in all probability never reach Congress. From

the particular experience of the states in legislation

the Congress is able to write on a broader basis

successful national legislation.

From all this it is obvious that the kind of na-

tional government we get depends to a large extent

on the quality of state government.

the part you can play

State government involves large numbers of

men and vast sums of money. In 1949, state and

local government employees numbered slightly

more than 4,000,000 and their monthly payroll

exceeded $900 million. For every 3 f.5 inhabitants

we have one state or local employee. The more

you know about this, the better for everybody.

In 1890, state and local government revenue

amounted to only $5 62 million annually. The

81



latest figures show that it has grown to over $17

billion each year, with every prospect of increase I

as the population grows and production increases.

With these tremendous financial resources, state

government also offers the individual a wide choice

of employment. Because of the diversity of its

activities, the state has jobs such as game ward-

ens, hospital dieticians and therapists; in teaching,

library work, and a wide variety of jobs in law
j

enforcement and public welfare. There is scarcely

an activity maintained by private enterprise which

is not duplicated by your state government.

In recent years a higher caliber of employee has

been flowing into state service. Many state gov-

ernments offer high-level courses in public ad-

ministration to qualify individuals for more re-

sponsible jobs.

State government offers a healthy, challenging

climate for the employee with new ideas.

the rest is up to you

What is presented here about state government

is only a small portion of what you ought to

know even for a working knowledge. It would

be well to do further reading and investigating

on your own. The more you know about the vital

role that state government plays in both local and

national life, the more incentive you will have to

participate in keeping it sound and strong.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

Here are a few questions that you may find

helpful to get your discussion under way, if you

do not have gny particular ones of your own to

propose.

1. What do you think would happen if state

government became so weak that it had to

depend entirely upon one central govern-

ment?

82



2. In your opinion how far should the state go

in providing health and welfare services for

the citizens? How far is too far

?

3. Name several ways in which the average

citizen can take a more personal interest in

the running of his state government.

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. One effective way of stimulating people to

become better acquainted with the function-

ing of state government is to ask them in a

friendly way to name their state senator or

state assemblyman. A gentle reminder such
as this often spurs a person to investigate

further.

2. Look into some project that is sponsored and

supported by the state. You might render a

real service by checking to see how great the

need is for it, how efficiently it is being

carried out, or how it can be improved. As

a taxpayer you are paying part of the bill

and not only have a right but an obligation

to do this. Get others to take a similar in-

terest.

V. Closing Prayer

83



SESSION 11

IT'S YOUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

I. Opening Prayer (All say together -see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

A girl, just out of college, went after a job
with the federal government in Washington with

such dogged determination that she wouldn’t take

no for an answer—not even when they told her
the only job open was that of messenger.

She became a messenger—to the bewilderment
of her friends and even of the people to whom she

delivered messages. Finally, somebody asked her:

"What do you think you’re proving?”

"I’m proving,” the girl laughed, "that I can

deliver messages faster than any girl in Washing-
j

ton!”

And what did that prove? Nothing much until

another girl messenger was found to have delibe-

rately mislaid an important document on China.

84



The prompt delivery of this document would have

been of real benefit to our government. Its delay

would help no one in the world — except the
Chinese Communists

!

This girl’s sense of responsibility toward her

national government which moved her to leave

her own locality and take a government job in-

ferior to many she could find" at home is a force-

ful reminder to all of us of the true sense of loyal-

ty we should have toward our country.

To us, as to her, it should be a precious trust

that every citizen should strive to safeguard and

preserve by personal participation in it.

everybody's job

Our national government has grown in size and

complexity since its first days. Today it is the most

gigantic human enterprise on the face of the earth.

Our national government is one of the best in

the whole history of government. Its Constitution,

drafted in 1787, is still a model.

The job of protecting our rights, and develop-

ing our material blessings is a great undertaking

and a sacred trust. It is everybody’s job. We be-
lieve in self government, and it is our task to

sele£t our representatives and also to take an active

part in the workings of our national government.

The importance our national government has

assumed both in our country and among the coun-

tries of the world makes it imperative that the

best qualified citizens take an interest in running

it. It has been the target of Communists and sub-

versives and is the prey of secularists who have

forgotten our godly beginnings.

The condition of our national government will

determine to a large extent the well being and

security of our state and local governments on

the one hand, and of international government on

the other.

a world to win

One of the chief obstacles to the problem of

manning our national government with good

85



citizens is the single fact that, unlike the case

of local and state administrations, a usual require-

ment is changing one’s residence to Washington,

D. C. or overseas. This is an act that is not likely

to be undertaken unless one is strongly convinced

of the high importance of the job to be done in

national government.

A young man who works for a brokerage con- !

cern in New York told us a story concerning
j

himself which illustrates in glaring detail one of

the major causes of our trouble in America today: i

namely, lack of personal interest in our own

government.

While he was a senior at college this young man '

once applied—in what he described as a "moment
of idealism”—for a job in the State Department.
Several months later, however, when the State De-

partment phoned to inform him that he had been

accepted for a position overseas immediately after

graduation, he got "cold feet” and decided to back

out. As he put it: "The thought of leaving New

York to go to Europe or South America or the Far

East scared me to death.” He began to make ex-
;

cuses as to why he couldn’t accept the offer.

A short time ago we met him on the street.
His opening words were an expression of regret

for passing up the opportunity to serve his country.

"Now I’ll probably be going into the army to

fight in Korea or some place else. If only I and

a lot of fellows like me had made a small sacrifice

a few years ago and gone into government, we

might have been able to do more than a little to

prevent the mess we are now in”.

causes for concern

Recent investigations of the Senate Crime Com-

mittee and the House Investigating Committee

which have uncovered evidences of Communism in

our State Department and both corruption and

inefficiency in high places has served to draw the

attention of the public to the task before us; itij

86



las caused a national anxiety. This may help to

emedy the problem but it should not veil from

is that the problem is ever recurring and not just

ne in time of emergency.

Many Americans are fearful that decisions are

ow being made and trends developing in govern-

ment that may fatally jeopardize the future of our
i ation. They are very much afraid that our coun-

|

ry is being sold short by those in high places in

government who, even though not malicious, may
»e making tragic mistakes from which we may
lever recover.

It is up to you, as a citizen and stockholder in

America, to look into this and separate the wheat

rom the chaff. It is not only your business. It is

our holy duty to make sure that even in cases
f doubt the best interests of all are safe-guarded.

The problem, as we constantly stress, is much
irger than Communism. The one thing about
Communists, however, is that they can be de-

ended upon to do all in their power to cloud

lie issues, spread defeatism, confuse objectives, and

weaken us in every way possible, so that all that
emains for them is to step in and take over when
he collapse they expect takes place.

the root of our trouble

One Washington newspaper, commenting on
enator Fulbright’s plan to form a Commission to

draw forth the meaning from the mass of data”
f the recent investigations, wrote:

The corruption of our sense of values has not

ome overnight. The process has been a long and

Ynical one. This disintegration of public morality

as been accompanied by impairment of our

rivate sense of values. One need only glance at
be degradation of old standards of family life,

t the futile pursuit of material things in the name
f happiness to see that this is so.

"These conditions are not going to be remedied

y any report. The cure must be generated in the

87



hearts and consciences of men. Those in public

life can do much by setting a worthy example,

which many of them have not been doing. But in

the last analysis the plain citizen must be his own

healer. There will be real improvement in our

public standards of morality when he decides he

wants improvement and not before.”

When will the average citizen decide? Time is

running out.

a glimpse at federal government

Every citizen should have at least a rudimentary

knowledge of how our national government is

built. For most people the federal government is

something vague and far away. Except for the

President and a few better known Senators and

Representatives, very little is known about the

general structure of department and positions of

federal government at Washington and elsewhere.

departments and agencies

In our national government there are 5 2

agencies and 9 regulatory commissions. It is not

possible to go into each of them here. Most civics

books give all the necessary detail. We aim at
giving merely a glimpse with a suggestion on the

more important spots.

All jobs in national government are important

in one way or another, and a loyal and com-

petent personnel is essential to them. Of par-

ticular concern, and of greater interest to one

with a Christopher purpose, however, are certain

sections of national government which are more

closely concerned with the security and well-being

of all our citizens.

state department

Those who aim at taking the world could find

no better spot to accomplish this objective than

the State Department. It leads all others in im-

portance.

It has 22,000 employees, with 8,000 in Wash-

ington.

88



The Foreign Service branch of the State De-

partment offers wonderful opportunities from

higher to lesser posts in the overseas area.

Special recruiting and training departments of

the State Department have been launched to en-

courage and train young students to seek leader-

ship in State Department work. Within it there

is a great variety of key spots going from policy

making, through research and information to per-

sonnel and communications work.

the department of justice

The chief purpose of this department is to pro-

vide the means of enforcing federal laws, to in-

terpret them and provide legal counsel. The Su-

preme Court, the F.B.I. and the Attorney General’s

office are in this department.

the department of labor

The enforcement and administration of laws

iaffecting the welfare of wage earners falls to this

department. Under the Secretary and his staff

there are several units or Bureaus for research,

library work and personnel.

the department of the interior

This department is responsible for the major

programs in land, water and mineral resources.

There are many positions for Christopher-minded

persons in its different Staffs, Divisions, and ad-

ministrative posts.

The Federal Security agency, the National Mil-

tary Establishment, the Federal Mediation Serv-

ices, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Voice of

America, the Civil Service Commission are a few

more vital spots in the network of national gov-

ernment positions.

All aim at one thing: the efficient and honest

administration of American laws and traditions.

our sacred trust

Our heritage is a proud one. It was won by hard
vork and suffering. Our Founding Fathers per-

|

• 89



formed heroic deeds in drafting a Declaration and

a Constitution which would guarantee the God-

given rights and the welfare of all for untold gen-

erations.

The price of preserving this heritage is careful

attention to it and an active interest on the part

of loyal citizens in their national government.

The election of leaders with integrity and the

manning of the 3,000,000 federal posts with the

best of our citizenry are the tasks of all if we are

to pass it on to future generations.

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

Select your own points for discussion if it is

convenient to do so. If not, you may find some

value in these few:

1. How much do you know about the structure
of your National Government? Explain the func-

tion of the legislative, executive and judicial

branches.

2. Why do many people think only of what
material advantage they can get out of Federal

Government and overlook the fact that it is com-

ing out of their own pockets or those of other

citizens?

3. A personnel official in the State Department
told us: "At no time in the last ten years have

enough people even applied for all the rank and
j

file jobs that are open in the State Department.

If the best qualified Americans neglect to staff

an important division, isn’t that an open invita- !

tion for the "next best” or even the "worst pos-

sible” to take over these vital positions?

IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1. Encourage as many people as possible to write

their Senators and Representatives respectful, con-

structive letters. Too often those who do the most

90



writing are those who are anxious to hurt instead
of help the country.

2. Make it your business to encourage at least
one person with a Christ-like purpose to dedicate
himself to a career in government.

1 A young lady unable to go into this vital field
herself decided to become a "committee of one”
and persuade others to do so. Her suggestion to a
friend of hers that he go into government drew
this negative response, "Nothing doing ! You can't
make enough money in government”.

"That isn’t the point!” she flashed back. "You’re
supposed to put in, not only take out. Remember,
t s your government as much as it is anybody’s.
The trouble with you is that you want someone
o d° the job for you. You want to let 'George’
io it. Well, that’s the same mistake the Germans
nade a while back. 'George’ certainly did it, but
iis name was Adolph!”

The young man is now doing a fine job work-
ng for the Federal Government.

V. Closing Prayer

91



SESSION 12

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

I. Opening Prayer (Ail say together*- see p. 2)

II. Material For Consideration (10 Minutes)

A young musician who plays on radio and tele-
vision programs was recently summoned for jury

duty. The call came at a bad time for him because

as a free-lance he had just lined up several lucra-

tive engagements. Practically all of his friends

urged him to "get out of” serving. His forthright

answer is worth reflection.

"Serving on this jury is probably going to cost

me a nice job on a regular television program”, j‘

the young musician said. "I can pick up some odd

92



jobs at night, but I still have to be in the court-

room at nine-thirty every morning. The law says

each man accused is entitled to a trial by a jury.

That’s why I don’t feel that I should try to be

excused. If I were on trial myself, I would want

every right the law provides for me.”

the price: personal inconvenience

Here is a case that involved personal sacrifice

for the sake of upholding the basic principles on

which America is founded. Far too many of us

have permitted defeatism and a cynical attitude

to dull our minds. In some circles it is considered

"reactionary” to be loyal, "old fashioned” to_ be

patriotic, and "quaint” to uphold a decent moral

code.

Fortunately for our country, there is still hope

for the future because the great majority of Amer-

icans still believe in loyalty, patriotism, and de-

cency, however little they may put these virtues

into practice.

In our quest for better government, success can

be achieved by a relatively few persons. If only a

small percentage of Americans would fight for

good government, they alone might be sufficient

to provide the strength our country needs,

do something

In the Army, infantry platoon leaders are

trained according to the pressure they may expect

to find on the battlefield. The cardinal rule in a

tight situation is:

"Do something”

The Army reasons that some form of "doing” in

i constructive way is better than none at all.

It is in the same spirit that we should develop

our attitude toward government. We may jus-
tifiably have no patience with the "do-nothing”

Employee or official,* but merely complaining ac-

complishes little if anything. Doing something

about it is far more constructive—and hopeful.
What, you may ask, can we do? First of all,

we need to renew our faith in God, faith in our-

93



selves,, and faith in others. We need to realize all
over again the priceless advantages of American

citizenship and the duties and obligations that go

with it. As a newspaperman describing the reac-

tions of American soldiers newly-arrived in Korea

recently said:

"They weren’t here long before they came to

the conclusion that our government, with all its

defects, is about the best government anyone could

have.”
,

All of us are indebted, under God, to our na-

tion. And one of the best ways for each of us to

show his gratitude is to play a personal role in

strengthening our government now and for the

future. There will be great hope for our country

if you—and enough like you—take the time and
trouble to do this.

you have a mission

The more conscious you are that you are im-

portant and that you have a mission to perform,

the more likely you are to plunge into the main-

stream of life instead of withdrawing to the back-

waters, there to wait hopelessly for the world to

fall on top of you.

You not only have a stake in the future but
!

you can do much to shape it for yourself and for

everybody else. In a very real sense, you can change \

the world. For as America goes during the next

five or ten years, so probably will go the world.

It is a -breathtaking challenge. It is a great

time to be alive—to participate, even in the small-
est way, in the fashioning of a future that can

bring the love and truth of Christ to America and
j

the world—to play a part in helping not only
j

Americans but all mankind for time and eternity,
j

Now, specifically, what can you do for your

government? You should shoulder the obligations !

of an individual citizen. What are the duties and

obligations of good citizenship? For clarity, we

will list them briefly:

94



1. First and most important, you have a duty

to register and vote in elections on all levels from

local to national.

2. You have a duty to keep yourself informed
on happenings in government so that you may
vote intelligently on men and issues.

3. You have a duty to serve on a grand jury
or a trial jury if called upon to do so. You should
not place your personal convenience above your

obligation to uphold the jury system and the

principle of a fair and open trial for all persons

accused of crime.

4. In wartime you may be called to the colors.
You have a duty to serve, since America can draw
its armed strength only from its own population.

5. You have a personal obligation to see that all
branches of your government— local, state and
national are staffed by the best Americans,
whether they are elected, appointed or retained by
jcivil service. Even if you cannot dedicate your
own life to public service, you can help others to
undertake this 'important responsibility. Try to
work in some capacity in some part of your local,
state, or national government at some period of
your life. This will do much to give you a sense
bf belonging.

6. You have a sacred obligation to count your
blessings as an American citizen, and a duty to
do more than complain and criticize; to act toward
correcting what you believe to be evils in gov-
ernment. God will bless your efforts.

• for you and others

While government is your business, it is also
y^our privilege to pxotect and fortify it for the
benefit of countless others. Remember, your chil-
dren and your children’s children will benefit (or
>uffer) by your actions today just as we are still
benefiting by the actions of those who founded
Pur country at great personal sacrifice!

95



Finally, we can think of no simpler or more

inspiring note on which to conclude this series of

Career Guidance sessions on your government than

the oath of loyalty to the United States which each

President repeats on the day of his inauguration.

It not only applies to the President but to every-

one. Each citizen, for instance, upon taking a trip

outside this country is required to take the oath

before receiving a passport.

Americans can do two things in relation to

this oath. For themselves, they can memorize it

and live according to it. For others, they can de-

mand that each office-holder who takes it, must

live up to it. Here it is:

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and

defend the Constitution of the United States

against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I

will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

and that I take this obligation freely, without any

mental reservation, or purpose of evasion: So help

me God.”

i i i

III. Discussion Period (15 Minutes)

Questions such as the following are presented

to you as mere suggestions for opening the dis-

cussion. Points that you think up on your own

should have preference as they would probably be

more personal and appropriate.

1. What are a few instances showing the tre-

mendous sacrifices of early Americans that

made possible the liberty that you enjoy today?

2. What is your obligation to future generations

of Americans?

3. To what extent are you participating in the

betterment of your government so that the

hope of the future may become a reality

through your efforts?

96



IV. Practical Application (5 Minutes)

1 . Be on the lookout for specific examples of love

of God and country shown by individuals in

deed and not merely in word. Tell others about

them. Call the attention of the newspapers to

them.

"Here is such an instance: A Greek immigrant
left $5,000 in savings bonds to the United

States Government in gratitude for what this

country had done for him. This appreciative

donor, Matheos E. Aligizakis, came to this

country from Crete about 40 years ago. He

earned most of the money operating a candy

store in New London, Connecticut, and saved

it dollar by dollar.

2. When you hear someone complaining about

the way the government is run, ask him this

little question: "What are you doing about

it?”

V. Closing Prayer



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