Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-12-24
"Improving Politics."

We have several times, in these columns,
expressed the opinion that the educated
class of our citizens instead of standing off
and railing at the crude efforts of the work
ing people to right acknowledged wrongs and
correct recognized abuses, ought to take
hold with them, and, by manifesting sym
patty with what is well-founded in their
complaints, win the confidence which would
enable themselves to become the effective
leaders and teachers of the people. The
American working people are well disposed
and naturally intelligent but it is not to be
expected that with our defective educa-
tional system they possess, as mass, the
ability to correct great social and political
evils, about the existence of which, however,
they are entirely right, and from which
they are often great sufferers Wanting
sympathetic leadership from among their
more instructed fellow-citizens, they fall
sometimes into the hands of fanatics and
demagogues; and though such leaders neither
have the capacity, nor win sufficient conf
dence from their followers 10 effect anything
useful, they are able to do much mischief
and to excite alarms very prejudicial to
public prosperity.
And we have felt, too, that the ministers
of religion ought to go more freely among
the people, listen 10 and understand their
complaints, and by humane and Christian
sympathy win their hearts to the truth. More
and more the working people are getting, in
all countries, to regard the church as their
enemy, and the ally of aristocracy. The
truths that Christ was ever the friend of the
poor, and that his teachings are the only safe
foundation for civil liberty, are not made
known and enforced as they should be by
his ministers When the masses suffer and
complain, it is too often the case that our
"people of culture" lump them all together
as communists" " repudators," strik-
ers," or with like opprobrious designations.
The effect is to throw them into the hands
and under the influence of leaders who are
just those things, but with whom the people,
at bottom, have no natural affinity. The
"setting of class against class" (of which
we ourself are occasionally accused) is much
more truly chargeabe to the attitude as
sumed by the best society" in relation to
the mass of the people Naturally, in
America, we ought not to have any such
segregation of an unsympathetic superior
class" from the bulk of the community.
Our ablest and best educated men ought
still to belong to the people, and be willing
to serve the people honestly, in good faith,
and not selfshly, or in the interest of self
constituted superior" body. This is the
danger, this is what sets class against class.
Without an aristocracy" no such thing as
a"populace," in the European sense, is pos
sible; and if we are to have such distinctions
and caste differences in this country it is not
the people who inaugurate them or can be
held responsible for the consequences of
their existence.
Thinking as we do on this great question,
we cannot but hail with delight such senti-
ments as are contained in the follow extract
from that excellent monthly publication,
under the heading of this article. 1t is
directly to the point, and we wish that every
honest man of culture in the land could
read it and take its wisdom to heart. Says
ought to have more influence in public affairs
than they now have; though they are in a
minority, the power which their training
gives them can be welded with great effect,
if they will only put themselves in contact
with the people, and divesting themselves of
the scorn of ignorance, work patiently for
the enlightment of their fellow-citizens. In
such service as this they will encounter no
end of discouragements, but this is the kind
of service to which patriotism and Chris
tianity unite in summoning them and the
urgency of the summons can hardly be over
stated The college instructors will do well
to teach their young men political science
but they will do better if, by precept and
example, they teach them the supreme obi
cations of citizenship, and so train them
that they shall seek to carry into politics
not only the learning they have gained, but
sound moral principles and patriotic senti-
ments. Not only by the participation Of
educated men in political affairs, but also
by vigorously prosecuting the work of ele
mentary instruction in the common schools
the people must be educated. The churches
too, have something to do in this work. They
ought to be, as they always have been, edu
Gators of the people in the great concerns Of
government; but, better than this, they
ought to be strengthening the bond that i
suffering just now severe strain--the bont
that unites in one community of interes
rich and poor, learned and ignorant. b.
preventing the segregation of classes in GU
society; by keeping the people of all grade
in fellowship and sympathy the churc
may furnish medium for the communities
ton not only of kindly feelings, but also O
intelligence from one class to another. T
the churches themselves, as well as to tn
nation, this kind of work is of vital i'm
pOrtance"