Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-01-08

III ldSUE VI luOSe LII ACCORD WIFI tne pro-
nounced sentiments ofthe people. Whilst,
here, by virtue of our constitutional limi-
tations, the same executive, with the same
policy, remains in power in defiance of this
public condemnation for two years longer.
But after all the power is in the hands
of the people, and they will have their
way, and will sooner or later be governed
in accordance with their own views OF
policy. This all being so, it necessarily
follows that where the power is, there is
also the responsibility. Each man in the
community must bear his share of this re-
:sponsibility, and he cannot, without shirk-
ing solemn duty, evade his portion OF
theb urden of government.
We are reminded of all this by an adj
dress delivered shortly after the election
by Gov. Tilden, of New York, before the
Manhattan Club. The Governor availed
himself of the opportunity to impress
upon the young men present the great ne
cessity there was that they should, by
study and thought, prepare themselves 70.
the intelligent discharge of the political
duties which devolved upon them as
citizens of a free and representative govern
ment. We were much impressed with the
force of the eminently enlightened views
presented. And any man of ordinary in
telligence, who will give to the subject a
little thought, will agree that the subject
is one for the most serious reflection and
earnest action.
Our government is not only in theory
but in practice government of the people
sv,--by the people and for the people. Every
officer, from the chief executive down, is
the servant and representative Of the peo-
plc..,-ss laws are made and hinistered
5; o. esentatives, andt therefore the
people are responsible if proper laws are
not made, and if made, are not properly
administered. How can they know wheth-
er wise laws are made if they do not un-
derstand the science Of government and
the laws of political economy? Or how
perly administered if the men who have
this understanding leave to Others who
are incompetent that duty which should
be discharged by themselves9 Therefore,
we can conceive of no more important OBJ
legation devolving upon citizens of this
republic than to properly understand the
complex yet simple form of government
under which we live, and so understand
ing it, to take an active part in its admin
istration. If our own COED sense does not
teach us this, the history of past years
should be sufficient to instruct us as to our
duty in this respect to ourselves and to our
fellow citizens. All the evils which we
have suffered-all the obloquy and disgrace
we have incurred-may be distinctly
traced back to lack of active participa
ton in politics by the more intelligent, or
what is commonly called 1.-The better
classes" The politics of the country al
ways have been, are now, and ever will be,
divided between two great parties. Our
history in this respect does not differ from
that of other nations of the earth. Theo-
rists may talk about no partyism and all
that sort of stuff, but practical, sound
thinking men, will see that there must al
ways be parties; that those two which re-
present antagonistic views on great fun
damental principles or questions of politi-
cal economy must absorb all lesser issues,
even as the ocean swallows the rivers
which empty into it. Two parties being
a necessity from the ve-v nature of our in
situations, they have each sought for some
plan by which its strength could be con-
centrated upon the strongest candidates
within its own fold. In pursuit of this
purpose the primary election has suppressed
ed the old caucus nominations. For our
selves. we are frank to say that we think
the plan an admirable one-at least the
best we know of. The plan is good, but
unfortunately it does not work well. But
this is NO fault Of the plan. A machine
may be perfect in all its parts and fully
able to do it's work, but if the necessary
power is not applied Of course it is useless.
Thus it is with the present party machi-
nery. The people--the Intelligent think
ing people-"the better classes"-do not
attend the primary elections, but leave
them to be managed by pot-house pofiti-
aians and the lower and more degraded
classes who are ready to sell their services
for money and whiskey. These men, who
thus are left to manipulate the primary
meetings, have no. the intelligence which
is necessary to run the party machinery
so that it may do its work effectively. The
result of all this is that bad and incompe-
tent men get nominations and are elected