The true Democrat., 1856-12-16
The Skeptics and lndifferents in Politics

There is mass of drones, selfish and ndif- ferent in politics, who ignore the franchise of liberty, and never deposit ballet. Others of the same class are but seldom raised to the pa triotic frenzy of walking round the corner, if in the city, or riding mile or two in the coun- | try, to exercise the duties of an American citi- zen. We regret to say, that this class of poll tical intidelS are almost exclusively citizens by birth and not by choice. We look upon their indifference and recklessness as positively cri- minai. This influence has done more to de. grade politics and endanger our institutions, than all the excess, and even the corruption of those who are too active in the business of go- vernlng the country.
 We are well aware that it is not expedent nor proper for men to abandon their regular pur- suits, m order to give themselves up to the ex- elements of political warfare, but the devotion of a reasonable share of attention and time to these matters, would exert salutary check on the excesses and the errors of parties Every man might be politician without interfering with his personal interests, and this state of things would conduce immensely to an economic ad- mlnistration and the public prosperity general ly. In this city. for example millions have been squandered because the tax payers and residents do not talks sufficient care of hat di- rectly concerns their pockets When they do attempt any interference, there is so much cow ardlce, eXclusveness, seItishness and ignorance mixed mp with the movements, that the actors do nothing except to make themselves laughing stocks
 In order to succeed in political objects, parties and men must be honest, straightforward and above board Tn their actions; and the class that occasionally glves spasmodic movement of ths kind, are on the contrary generally secret and tricky, and when defeated, relapse into sullen indifference. Men have no right to complain that knaves are advaf ced, and that brutes sell themselves to secure the infamous ambition of designing men, while they them selves will not take the trouble to make up part of the active material of the machinery of party. How do those people who merely step out on an election morning, receive a number of folded papers from a man on the sidewalk, and hand them to another behind shop coun- ter, think they are dscharging the whole duty of citizen? Who do they think paid for printing and folding those bits of paper? They did not, and yet they require disinterested pa- triotism from those who did. The oyster shells of the ancient Greeks had at all events the ad- vantage of costing nothing. Who do they SUD- pose paid for the decorated banners which were strung over every thorough fare, and the bills which were posted on every unoccupied fence and wall through the city? Men con- plain that they have no share in public affairs, and yet they will give themselves as little trou- ble possible about them. We have no fear that more general participation in what all are vitally interested would do harm.
 If the people actually shared. to far greater extent than they do, in the machinery of party, 1t would keep out corruption and prevent vio- .; and at the polls.- As it is now, parties are too much controlled by the few, and this is because the many will not take the time, or grudge the expense which is required of them, to attend in person to the exercise of self-government. If they will allow others to make the nomina- tons, print the bills, and even the ballots they vote by, they must not complain, if those who labor command the influence. If they permit their thinking to be done by proxy, they must expect errors to be engendered, and public opi. nion Jo become unseund.
 So far from the excitement and the activity of our elections being dangerous, the indifferent ism and the skeptloism of the great mass are far more alarming. Pretexts the most absurd, and assumptions the most brazen, have been put forward, and thousands have rushed blind ly forward at the call of fanaticism and false hood-even to destroy the fabric of our govern ment-while, through the same carelessness, the door is opened for bad men to glut their avarice of ambition to satety, by gaining the control of party organization.
 We hope that some plan may be devised whereby the masses in our great cities especial
 " may become interested and take an active share in politics In free country the pract- Cal working of the system cannot be too po- pular. The aristocratic plan of cliques and councils is bad enough, and leads to the worst forms of demagoguism. Let the people look to 1t, and believe the honored democratic adage, "that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance" N r. Ne,cs