Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-11-26
y , - I-f1.s- o 10 III
i"WhereWithal Shall q Young Man
- Cleanse his Way" Politically.

AS says the LynchOuTg NeWS, the
elections are over, and the candidates
have retierd to their homes, andno one
is organizing the Wards" or cultivat-
ing the "boss fioateY,"a few words on
the morale of politics to the younger
portion of the people may not be amss.
1t is as much aman's duty to vote as to
fight for his CT untry, and when war
is on hand thousands al men will accept
this doctrine without question, but not
few have doubted thesoundnessi of the
conclusion we draw fron it that y man
should resolutely su- tain his ballot, if
need be, with his musket-if he votes
for war he should fghtit out. Every
body seems to believe that man should
fight for his country, aud most say right
or wrang, but they seem to forget that
correct voting may prevent fighting,
and that an honest, upright. wise adj
ministration of public affairs, directed
and sustained by thevotes of the people,
tends to peace with the world as. well
as prosperity at home. Tyranny and
oppression may be eVerthroWa asttfec-
tually by the votes of u united, k6nest
and courageous people, as by their yo-
nets, aud man should be as patriotic
and honest in The use of the ballot as Of
the bullet. 1t is the duty of every citi-
sen to make the government as pure
and benet1cent as possible, and he can
no more properly refuse to talks. part ia
its civil administration thaib he can in
its defense. Let the same. principle CON
-tFal him In both, aud it viii be we'll
With tie land. We comnlend 70 ysung
men the following on This subject from
the Sunday Press: g lseg tna
Politics has Of late years come to be
regarded by, many rs Q thing to be
Stunned. Parents tell their children to
beware of politics; to keep out Of the
tide of corruption Which will thefefore
inevitably drag them DOWN to oontani.
nation if they venture into it, The false
idea. formed of'his duty by the boy or
souli, so instructed, is perhaps strength
eued by hearing bis grandfather SAY
that, oil; as he is, he never cast a vote In
his life. So the boy grows up with
very slight ideas of his duty to his coun :
try, and having. once attained bis ma
iority, retaining the faith in which he
has been taught, very rarely becomes
faithful citizen in after years. He el-
ther goes through life without caring to
exercise his right 10 vote at ali. or, With
out Intentional wrong doing, allowslIis
vote to be boone along With the currtn;
opinion Of those aro9nd iilpi-5 s9as4s
ln sfTh;s kind of training, or want of
training, is all wrong WRONG in the'
premises on which it. is based. and wron &
In the sconelnsions To i,e drawn -ffpnl
them, If they were correct. sPo!jticsi as
a practice, Is generally cerrupt' az a
theory, science, it has nothing neoes-
sarily corrupt about lit. "A very small
,percentage of those whohave to do with
the science of politics-the voters ever
have ANYTHING to do with it as practice
ar heroine candidates. one but men.
weak i'm moral character, business pri., .
cipies. and things in general Will bess.'
weak as to contribute. to any great ex-
tent. to the mass of curruption that ls to
be found in poiitirs3 in that rs ip every
al her affair flifethey aecDMplisE hahn
raj hsr than good, but that is no more
the fault of politics thanit is the faultlof
the legal profession i'll general that a
Judge piyes an unjust decision. But.
GRANTED that politics is asserting vortex
of corruption, how is 1t ever TO income
anything else unless lncorrlptlDle men
take an Interest init, and iift.it up gra-
daally to purer condition pa