The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-02-24
POLITICAL TRAINING.

In an article on the above topic in
Sctibner for March, Dr. Holland makes
the following suggestion
We have our military and naval
schools for training men for the army
ard navy. After their graduation, they
may 20 into civil life, but, in time of
war, they are the first we call upon to
organize and lead the forces Of the
country. They alone truly understand
the business They have been in
stracted III all the details of organiza-
ton, subsistence and active war, Now,
we can not understand why the men
engaged in legislation and administra-
tion--in the civil service of the govern
ment-do not needas careful training
as those who are called to its military
and naval service The knowledge de
manded covers a wider field. The
principles involved are a thousand
times more complex. international
law ana polity, Political economy
finance, the relations of the federal,
government TO the States, the relations
of the States 10 each other, eonstitu-
tional history and constitutional law,
diplomacy, and vast aggregate of re-
corded usage and technical detail--all
these need TO be understood by the
men in office. How are men TO be
grounded in the principles of govern
| ment, aud to acquire even the elements
OF this vast range of knowledge At
present, the only education we give
them Is IN active service. We are not
only at the expense of their subsist-
! ence and tuition, bat we are at the still
greater expense OF their bluuders
| Well. we do not propose another
West Point. or another Annapolis
| 1t would not be well, We presume, to
establish governmental school OF poll
| ties. There are insuperable objections
in the way. The partisans of free trade
and protection, for instance, could never
agree on the style of political economy
| to be taught. But there is no reason
why Yale or Harvard, or any other col.
lege for that matter, should not haze a
department of politics, which should
| give lid three years course of study.
There is no reason why a man should
| not go before a high examining board
at Washington, from such school as
this, and win his certificate of fitness
1 for public office. There are thousand
gooi reasons why such man should
receive the sutirages of the people fol
any office which they wish TO fill
Aside from all direct influence upon
governmental legislation and admins
tra.iop, the effect of the training which
such a school would give would exer
else most 'enefeient influence upon
the country If the mea who ar.
trained there never enter Office, they
will add to the popular intelligence, and
raise the public standard and the publ,
tpne. They will not only help x
leayen the mass, but they will place the
government under intelligent criticism
Under their influence, the demagogu.
would be subjected to fearful dis
count Their presence In public affair
and their distribution throughout tn.
CT uutry would, of themselves. do muel
10 reform a service that has sunk int,
deserved contempt. Ignorant mel
would be ashamed to show thepselye
in such light. The simple establish
ment Of such q school would call tn
attention OF the public TO the gres
abuses from which they have suffered
and they would be glad to be repre-
scented by men who would not oui
serve the country web, but would homo
! them.