Page:The spirit of the leader (IA spiritofleader00heyl).pdf/30

 was possible, they themselves were going to be the rulers of the room deciding its policies and determining its judgments.

"I'll just be the umpire," he said. "I will never interfere unless I am compelled to. When an American citizen gets into trouble away from home his first thought is to appeal to his Government at Washington for help and protection. I want you to carry that same feeling with respect to Room 13. If you get into trouble in school, bring that trouble here. If you're right, the whole room will be behind you; if you're wrong, your friends here will tell you so and counsel as to what you had better do to make amends. Sometimes you may have to take punishment. If you do it will be because your own room thinks you deserve punishment, just as the various States regretfully punish those citizens who break the law. When people rule themselves wisely they have law and order. When law and order are absent the result is anarchy. Here in Northfield High, in Room 13, and in every other home room, we are going to try to be good citizens of our school republic."

The room talked over its problems with sudden seriousness. There was, first of all, the question of the attendance book. Somebody had to be appointed to mark the time when the citizens