Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-03
THE PUBLIC DUTY or EDUCA TED
MEN
Sensible and Patriotic suggestIons.
ny GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS AT UNION
COLLEGE.

BY the words public duty l do not nee
essariy mean official duty, although 1t may
include that. mean simply that constant
and active practical participation in the de-
tails OF politics without which, upon the
part of The most intelligent citizens, the
conduct of public affairs falls under the
control of selfish and ignorant or crafty
and venal men. mean that personal at
tention which, as it must be incessant, is
often wearisome and even repulsive, TO the
details of politics, attendance at meetings,
service upon committees, care and trouble
and expense of many kinds, patient en-
durance of rebuffs, chagrins, ridicule, dis
appointments, defeats-in word, all those
duties and services which, when solfishly
aud meanly performed, stigmatize man
as mere politician, but whose constant,
honorable, intelligent and vigilant per-
Torrance is the gradual building, stone by
stone, and layer 10y layer, of that great tenn
pie of self-restrained liberty which all gen.
erous souls mean that our government
shall be.
Public duty in this country is not dis
charged, as is so often supposed, by voting.
man may vote regularly, and still fail
essentially of his political duty, as the
Pharisee who gave tithes of all that he
possessed, and tasted three times in the
week, yet lacked the very heart of religion.
When an American citizen is content with
voting merely, he consents to accept what
is oflen a doubtful alternative. This, which
was formerly less necessary, is now indis-
pensable. In rural community such as
this country was hundred years ago,
whoever was nominated for office was
known TO his neighbors, and the conscious
ness of that knowledge was conservative
influence in determining nominations. But
in the local elections of the great cities of
to-day, elections that control taxation and
expenditure, the mass of the voters vote in
absolute ignorance of the candidates. The
citizen, who supposes that he does all his
duty when he votes, places premium up
on political knavery. Thieves welcome
him to the polls and offer him a choice,
which lie has done nothing to prevent, be-
tween Jeremy Dddler and Dick Turpin.
The party cries for which he is responsible
are: "Turpin and Honestly ~ "Diddler and
Reform!' And within a few years, as
result of this indifference to the details of
public duty, the most powerful politician
in the Empire State of the Union was JON
athan Wild the Great, the captain of band
of plunderers. l know it is said that the
knaves have taken the honest men in net,
and have contrived machinery which will
inevitably grind only the grst of rascals.
The answer is that when honest men did
once what they ought to do always, the
thieves were netted and their machine was
broken. To say that in this country the
rogues must rule is 10 defy history and to
despair of the republic. 1t is to repeat the
imbecile executive cry of sixteen years
ago: "Oh, DEAR the States have no right to
60; and, oh dear, the nation has no right
to help ITSELF" Let the Union, stronger
than ever and unstained with national
wrong, teach us the power of patriotic vir-
tue-and Ludlow street Jail console those
who suppose that American politics must
necessarily be game of thieves and bull
lies.
If ignorance and corruption and intrigue
control the primary meeting, and manage
the convention, and dictate the nomin-
alton, the fault is in the honest and intelli-
gent workshop and Office, in the library,
and the parlor, in the church and the
school. When they are as constant and
faithful to their political rights as the slums
and the grog shops, and pool-rooms, and
he kennels; when the educated, industri-
Gus, temperate, thrifty citizens are as zeal
Gus and prompt and unfailing in political
activity as the ignorant and venal and mis-
chievous, or when it is plain that they can
not he reused TO their duty, then, but moi
until then-if ignorance and corruption al
ways carry the day-there can be no hon.
est question that the republic has failed
But let us not be deceived. While good
men sit at home, not knowing that there Is
anything to be done, nor caring to know
cultivating feeling that politics are tire
some and dirty, and politicians vulgar bull
lies and bravoes; half persuaded that
republic is the contemplate rule of q mob
and secretly longing for a splendid ant
vigorous despotism-then remember it is
not government mastered by ignorance
tits a government betrayed by intelligence
1t is not the victory of the slums, il is thu
surrender Of the schools it is not that baC
men are brave, but that good men are inf
dels and towards.
Party spirit naturally denies the patriot
ism OF its opponents. Identifying iisel
with the country, it regards all others a
public enemies. This is substantially rev
dictionary politics. 1t is the condition o
France, where, in its own words, the revo
luton is permanent. Instead of regardin,
the other party as legitimate opponents-ii
the English phrase, his Majesty's opposi
tion--lawfully seeking different policy IN
der the government, 1t decries that part
as conspiracy, plotting the overthrow O
the government itself. History is luri,
with the wasting fires of this madness
We nOed not look TO that of other lands
Our own is full of it. 1t is painful TO turl
to The opening years Of the Union, and {
see how the great men whom we are laugh
to revere, and 10 whose fostering care lh
beginning of the republic was intrusled
famed their hatred and suspicion of eac
other. Do not trust The flattering voice
that whisper of a golden age behind us, an
bemoan our own as a degenerate day. Tn
castle of hope always shines along the he
rizon. Our fathers saw theirs where W
are standing, We behold ours where on
fathers stood. But pensive regret for th
heroic past, like eager anticipation of tn
future, shows only that the vision of a loft
Ter life forever allures the human soul. w
think our fathers to have been wiser tina
we and their days more enviable. Blu
eighty years ago the Federalists abhorre
their opponents as Jacobins, and though
obespieTre and MaTat no worse tina
Washington's Secretary of State. Thei
opponents retorted that The Federalist