New-York tribune., 1871-01-11
DO HIGHLY BDUCh TED AhBRICANS TAKE
IN INTEREST IN P0LITYCSf
10, n1cc,NsoN IN REPLY TO TON HUGHES.
tOAss ~ ms.

COL. HIGGlNctN ~ ~ = - ~ N
II is especially pity that Thomas Hughes
nod have given fresh lease Of he TO the old deuson
shst educated Americans t0ke interest In politics. IN
what part OF America Is II that CCuet tcd men 90 not I
that is in the vast states OF the West nor III INC SOUL
eXcep as temporarily CeTangcd by me N'I' IN It
educated Young men, and the saae j. true OF nc F9 VII
parts q The Middle statos Even n d Scd 2 ,e1
their advisers agcnts in tie newsaper press ana any or or
the cOurt-rOoms orc dch Tweed am S"'yJiS f YSr
NAV not he college graduates. bl VIC ,.uos ,. w 80 &
World Fish, ir is not cra9E5lt q, i n! "a dey
the pedders wagon but bis les aGN'e'Tj c' me
majority Of the intellectual la2or G uc Nv ~ ,hs
press Is done Icy college men @ Inss s H Is then mar.
rowed to New gland But no one who knows any any
thing Of our rural colleges in NeyLGsana snShas "x 40
mouth aud Amherst. viii say that theu gradntSs e'
not Interest themselves IN politics How ~ y Wl. rradnates
WHO have distinguished themselves IN IuDddo Id Ind md
The inquiry I orsS 30 Us not 0"SE know another college
IN America of whom il can even plaiisl,o3 , nnI ~
tsc And n know any{lng about Harvard If such an
evil exists there. it Is Of very recent eflgn anu m thc
Young men, but to the present set Of teac hers VINO IAN lam
tem. The writer was horn and bred uraed te nc % inv
tuOn he had home b but G9@9IGge ever ler
twentythree years He ha XeG@ IN III beI hr Himself
and most of his compeefs were not aciSSy lnISl s
Sed m no1fies on the one side the other Those VINO
S m ,erev1sI GENERALLY preached politics, and often
los their pupits for it, sake. IAOSe VINO @ "
Tsne cTry career like Lowell and Curtis we're APT 10
81 drawn aside into politics, anc 10 chd IN euIns
oIicais of marked political character. ike hqFPF
TeeEy or The North American heyicte. Those VINO pe
came LAWYERS business took yet more eneIoss
fng interest political affairs ~ these may ny He
reached uotea distinction hut there are not dlstnc
ffops enough for all and the fact mat man s - 81
interest in thing does not prove tS nc is To- have
Looking back the political liEuchOcS Ii tc6
controlled MaSsachuset. We soO S ~ 49,
snon fas Hughes would use tic icIIl t 80 tba
ali The old Whig party OF the state was ueNoteu ~
fortuues OF college breG TIE free son pat "lu
roke Il up was founded by Sumner IaliISI AeI S ib
Idams-ail coege-bred mcn-toCcthcr Win NlisOu VINO
TOOK his honorable degree at the lapson On In0 otn
hand the AbOltiOui-t party Who cctlny ILCIcsVeu @
themselves most vehemeptly in politics WHOM eas 1T
a vote was lcd-after GafrisOn-by Philips quincy anu
May all Harvard men. -. 49,.
ISokng around for the cess OF educated men who are
-sof Interested in politics. ud this class only IN ieW
1pen i'm our larger cities, hali spoiled by wealth ana L
rOpe who have been pooh pooling America ana every
thing in il ever since rV;IClnDCr. dln'i d9t ~
spcr with two highly educated young EngilsLlueh uo
cgcer ~ know and 10 admire this cOuntIy IheIe was
also highly intelligent young Bostonlan present, cas-
10 instruct them One Of lis tSt bits OF nlorpso va
AZ sed upOu this same cant about the aversion OF our eu
ucated men 10 politics. lie said "tormelIy our COiiS
bred men went TO Congress; now you hHi
hardly any tlerc" l asked lin, " How Inany-lii
"PrObably a dozen" l said, Probably MY. NJ
ferTng to POOres Congressional DictCHafB IL proven
thai g Representatives, out OF lj. ~ u Sel Tors Ou %
g. were wholly or IN part college bred, not co1iMtEe
those who lad merely attended professional scAuis.
When n third Of The Lower House aud nearly ole-1aI
the Up0er belong TO the o.ass OF educated lnen
accOTdng to thC American standard, St ieast ~ is e
srrd n ,ay that 90 not interest themselves IN
Doliiics And con idCTipC tie narTOWnc ana tuanSiy
That have cglIcSsCG d. Iktd lnNth O. ti-N Su4-V-N
c.tCa ~ thc past II seems Nod'lt' NAc'..C4 !" ''i'
,nucb larger Iropo.Tion would be an Improvements