The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-01
FUNDAMENTAL. PHzlsCE-
PLEA

which will be of interest and prch
to our older as well as our yealpges
readers. 4ss
L The book grew out OF aaatteInp
to instruct the authors oldest son !!
the political knowledge which .sye
nv American boy ought to possess
The author believes tlhat tn
course of life which is calculated Il
fit your immortal part for the futur
and spiritual lite is also that eoUrsl
which will make you . good cstizeI
OF the United States. T,'ibe > go0C
IcitiZen is not merely that y0Ga shall
give such prudent obedieRee 90 IN.
laws as will keep you ont of Jan 5 i
meaus that you shall in all parts o
your life live moderately and yirtu
OusIy; that you shall HoYe ysul
neighbor as yourself and therpfOrt
do him no wrong; that Yon shal
pursue your aims in life with snct
moderation as TO avoid interfering
with the happiness OF others iila'
you shall endeaVor, by your actions
whenever occasion serves, 70 beIiefit
| your fellow-men; for selfish
ness breeds selfishness, coy.
etousness corrupts those who
behold il, and liberty can only bC
maintained among 3 people who
practice sef-sacrifice, and to whom
4 q virtuous life seems more import
ant than mere selfish success"
Recognizing the necessity of par.
/ ty organizations as the only means
| by which the sense OF the people
can be got at elections upon Ques.
tons of public policy, he goes on to
say:
s"There is, however, in every free
State, a third party, little heard OF
without organization, which does
not seek office, holds no meetings
and owns no banners. 1t holds the
balance of power, and it silently de-
cides the elections. and on the
whole in the right way. This party
is composed of the citizens who
think for themselves, who look on
at the strife little moved by parti-
san appeals, and on election day de-
post their votes for the man or the
policy which on the whole appears
to them likely to best further the
good of the State. This party is the
terror of professional politicians,
and often their confusion. The
larger il is in any community, the
better will public affairs be manag-
ed, for it is this party which pun
ishes inefficiency, corruption, or
INSTRUMENTATION of aay kind, de-
feats the caucuses, and scratches
tickets when corrupt meh are NOM
mated. 1t is to this party wish
you to belong, whether you are a
Democrat or a Republican"
Under the head of Education, f"
the author says that a certain de-
gree of intelligence is necessary to
make a man q good citizen of a free
state, and that sit is to the interest
of ali citizens that every child In the
state shall have so much education
as shall enable it to comprehend
our political institutions, and to fol-
low intelligently some useful indus
try" The state should not only
provide free elementary schools,
but also compel attendance during
four years in a public or free school
of the district. Such a law would
bring all the children of commu-
nifty together in a way that will
make citizens OF all classes know
each other, and thus prevent that
alienation of the less from the more
prosperous, which is a grave dan
ger to free government.
From the authors sagaciOus re-
marks upon free government we
quote:
"Governme't of the people, for the
people, and by the people, educates
q nation in courage, enterprise, q
ctr of eNy al fssAi naf Z
the habit of obeying law, and the
capacity and readiness to act to-
gether for public ends. Free gov
eminent is a school of all the manly
virtues.
at works also another and equal
ly important result: it maintains
peace amid change, and allows the
reform of evils without resort to
revolution; because where the
whole people take part in electing
their rulers and law makers all feel
equally bound by the laws at any
time enacted, and if any feel these
laws oppressive, they get patience
from the knowledge that open dis
cussion will in time bring its reme-
dies. Under q despotic govern
ment wrongs can be righted only by
violence and revolution. Under a
free government like ours, all
wrongs can be righted by argu-
ment. Hence the freest govern
ment is likely toibe the most peace
able, orderly and permanent.
"Free government is troublesome
to its citizens because it imposes
upon every man duties of public
nature, to which he must give time
and intelligent thought. In the
measure that all the people thus
give up time and thought to their
political duties, in the same degree
will their government be justly and
honestly administered. Gross sell
fishness, such as leads men to aban-
don their political aud public duties
in order to devote their whole time
and energies TO their own affairs
and pleasures, is therefore, as
have already several times
pointed out to you, a disgraceful
and dangerous vice in the citizen OF
a republic"
Under the head of ''More Green
backs" we find the following: "If a
banker were to set up a claim to is.
sue one hundred thousand dollars
| in bills on the plea that he had no
money at all with which to redeem
them, he would be rightly thought
q fool; and if he persisted in such
an absurdity, he would be sent by
his friends to the lunatic asylum.
If he should demand, besides, thai
these bills which he desires to issue
should be declared q legal tender
no doubt he would be put into 6
straight jacket, or sent to the incur
able ward, and the lowest attend
ant in the asylum would laugh al
him as an absurd creature for i
would require very little brains tC
see his blunder. But this is pre-
cisely what the government does il
Issuing greenbacks. 1t issues prom
ises to pay, on the plea that it haI
no money; and it makes them lie
gal tender because they are no
good"
The concluding chapter is emit
tied, "When We Number One Hun
dred Millions" We quote the fol
lowing remarks from it: "The in
conveniences, the temporary mslad
ministrations, and above all the APP
parent careIessness with which thu
people Gondone blunders in theil
public servants, need not give yol
occasion for gloomy forebodings
Our people are naturally inattent
i've to minor details in their gov
ernments. They forgive much t
! their rulers, if only they are con
{ WINGED that these have an homes
, desire to serve the public. The
are aIOW tn lose their faith in oil
, public servants, and especially in
political party which has once sc
cured their confidence by conspicu
) Gus good service.
"This quality, which is often vex
atious, and sometimes cause
z thoughtful men to despair, is j
D fact 9 most valuable trait in an
nAnnIa: for IL aecures what Ia of th