Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-14
TAKE 4 PART IN POLITICS.

TAKE a PART IN Politics.
On every hand we hear complaints that
this, that, Or the other public officer is moi
the proper man for the place he occupies
and should never have been elected. These
complaints come for the most part from
men who seldom or never take an active part
in politics. They do not participate in the
primaries because, they say, the primaries
are run by bummers. They do not vote be-
cause the candidates nominated by the pri-
mary meetings do not suit them. And so
they hold themselves aloof from all meet
ings in which the cause of good government
is discussed or which decide who is to rule
over us. But they are always among the
first to find fault with the selections that
have been made, and to cry aloud about the
corruption of political life.
In the city of st. Paul, with a voting pop
ulation of about seventy-fve hundred, we
have seldom had vote of more than five
thousand. FROM two to three thousand cit
liens habitually remain away from the polls.
These men could, if they chose, turn the tide
at any election. They could, if they partici-
pated in the primaries, succeed in placing
only good men in nomination for Office, and
they could, if bad man happened to get
upon ticket, defeat him at the polls. They
could contribute largely towards the eleva-
ton of the profession of politics
drive from public place all who are un-
worthy of confidence and make the caucus and
the polling place eminently respectable. But
this they refuse Or neglect to do, but
keep on complaining as if they had right
to complain. We hold strenuously to the
declaration that man who does not attend
the primaries and work for the nomination
of good men, has no right to complain if
bad men are selected. We also hold that a
man who does not attend the polls on cleo
ton day and contribute his vote and his in
fuence for the election of good men, has no
right to complain if bad men are selected.
He who neglects his duty as citizen de-
serves to be badly governed. If by chance
the mon chosen to Office are Of such a
character as to deserve commentator, men
who have taken no part in their nomination
or election deserve no credit, and if it
could be so arranged should receive no
benefit from good government.
There is far more danger to our institu-
tions to be apprehended from the apathy of
the intelligent voters of the country than
from any other cause. Those who would
usurp authority or maladminister the affairs
of the nation, the State or the municipality
can do so only through the neglect of the
citizens to exercise the right of franchise.
1t is notorious that the lower classes of
society attend more diligently to their duty
as citizens than the higher class. They
place higher value upon the franchise, and
in this respect they are deserving of all
praise. People who are most interested IN
sustaining good government are more negli-
gent than those who have no interest what
ever. It is a problem hard to understand,
but nevertheless, the fact exists that men of
intelligence, who have large property inter-
ests at stake, seldom or never visit the polls
on election day, and very few of them indeed
take part in the primary caucuses. Reform
is necessary in this respect If citizens de-
sire to be well governed they must take part
in the caucus and the election. They can
reform much that is reprehensible in politics
if they desire to do so. If they would pro-
tect their own interests they must take the
control of the caucus and of the elections
out Of the hands of the pot-house brawlers
who now, to a great extent, control them.
But until they do SO they need expect neither
sympathy nor praise as the choice of officers
is bad or good. Indifference in political
matters is an ofense against our whole sys-
tenn, which must be remedied.