Christian Citizenship 263 



cial system. First and foremost, your organization 

 recognizes the vital need of brotherhood, the most 

 vital of all our needs here in this great Republic. 

 The existence of a Young Men's or Young Women's 

 Christian Association is certain proof that some peo 

 ple at least recognize in practical shape the identity 

 of aspiration and interest, both in things material and 

 in things higher, which with us must be widespread 

 through the masses of our people if our national life 

 is to attain full development. This spirit of brother 

 hood recognizes of necessity both the need of self- 

 help and also the need of helping others in the only 

 way which ever ultimately does great good, that is, 

 of helping them to help themselves. Every man of 

 us needs such help at some time or other, and each 

 of us should be glad to stretch out his hand to a 

 brother who stumbles. But while every man needs 

 at times to be lifted up when he stumbles, no man 

 can afford to let himself be carried, and it is worth 

 no man's while to try thus to carry some one 

 else. The man who lies down,, who will not try 

 to walk, has become a mere cumberer of the 

 earth's surface. 



These Associations of yours try to make men self- 

 helpful and to help them when they are self-helpful. 

 They do not try merely to carry them, to benefit them 

 for the moment at the cost of their future undoing. 

 This means that all in any way connected with them 



