THE PUBLIC SERVANT 



tion. In this spirit must each one of us seek to do his service. 

 In this spirit must each one of us do his life work, content that 

 whether distinction comes to us or not, is a matter of little mo- 

 ment so long as God's work is done. 



Finally, the duty is incumbent upon us all in a democracy 

 to see to it that the society is true to itself and serves its own 

 ideals. A democracy that is rent by factions is a democracy 

 without the spirit of public service. It will fail. A democracy 

 that permits itself to be exploited by the strong, whether indi- 

 viduals or groups, will fail, because the spirit of service is lack- 

 ing in those individuals and groups. A democracy that casts 

 obloquy upon those who serve it and discredits them as self- 

 seekers, will fail, because in the long run it will kill the spirit 

 of service in those of its members who seek to do good. There 

 is no way of success for democracy excepting in the wider 

 application and practice of this spirit of service to one another. 

 We have been accustomed to say : "I will achieve individual 

 success, in making a fortune or what not, and thereby make my 

 contribution to the general welfare." We must now say : "I 

 will make my contribution to the general welfare by serving 

 my fellow men to the best of my ability in the line of my 

 chosen work, and have faith that in the recognition of my 

 obligation, adequate rewards of fortune and name will come 

 to me." 



The two ideals are not incompatible ; the latter is the 

 harder path to follow and the harder height to attain. In 

 the long upward walk of men, only a few of each generation 

 have chosen that latter way and walked that harder path. But, 

 thank God, the number has been an increasing one as the gen- 

 erations have passed, and it is larger today than it ever has 

 been before. It will be larger tomorrow than it is today ; it will 

 be larger tomorrow and more powerful tomorrow because 

 Cyril G. Hopkins set so shining an example of that spirit and 

 attitude and ideal in his own life. 



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