Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-11-18


We have received from New
York the prospectus Of society
which has been formed in that city
for "Political Education" in the
United States. This idea is recon-
mended by Its novelty; nd,should
lt be carried out in q Wholesome
and patriotic spirit, for its excel
3once and beneficial tendency.
1t IL not too much to say that
politics In the United States. ex-
eept In the case Of q very small
class. has never been pursued as
study. The game Of politics has
besn followed as an exciting pas
time, often encouraging the most
bitter and vindictive feelings on
the part of the participants. Those
who are acquainted, from actual
experience, with the virulence OF
the contests of. the last twenty
years, are too apt to think that
defamation, uncharltabieness and
AL III will, are growths of the later
days Of the Republic. The fact is
that there has been no stage of our
political history in which "mud
elinglng' has not been leading
Incident of campaigns and Of adj
mlnistrations which, in the light
q history, are now known to have
been exceptionally pure and patri-
otto. The Ana Of Thomas Jeffer.
son, when that gentleman was
Washington's Secretary of State,
are full of examples Of the bitter
ness and violence of which the
Father Of his Country was the sub.
jsct. One striking picture is in
point. On arriving for a Cabinet
session one day, Jefferson and the
rest found Washington with flush
I'd face and swollen veins, spread
over copy Of Frenau's Aurora, a
philadelphia sheet, In the interest
Of the pro-French partizans, which
was continually alleging against
Washington the gravest designs
upon the liberties Of his country.
ssSee," said Washington, in par.
oxygen of passion, pointing to the
crumpled sheet, "they accuse me OF
4 aiming at empire when, by Cd
I would rather be on my farm al
Mt. Vernon than EN- peror Of all
the world"
This disgusting aspect of politics
has never been intermitted for a
day or year OF our political histo-
~. The noble and incorruptible
Jefferson, whose refined tastes and
elevated political instincts have
made him the admiration of all
continents, was pursued by q
stream of the most obscene aud dis.
gushing Islander. Neither Madison
nor Monroe escaped the ordeal
though, in the second administra.
tion Of the latter, the people com
maDded halt in the full career 81
political vituperation, and re-elect
I'd him by unanimous vote. The
corrupt stream, however, was
merely banked up and gathered q
fresh head, reappearing In the sd.
authorizations OF John Quincy
Adams and Andrew Jackson with
the energy Of a torrent which had
been Imprisoned and had found an
vsti.f Van Buren,, Polk, Pierce
ana Buchanan wore favorite tar.
gets for the "mud-slinger,.. and
every one knows how the
game of politics has gone in our
own days.
In view OF such developm ents in
American pc litics, we hail with
pleasure the advent OF any associa'
ti0n, however small in numbers,
which proposes to its me bers the
study Of politics as pursuit well
worthy the honest and. 4 tanasaien:
The struggles of constitutional
government, by some singular fa-
taitty, are always violent and con.
vuisive. The same experience
which has been witnessed in the
United States attended the evolu-
ton OF the two great English par
ties yhich, for two hundred years,
have siternated in the mastery of
the British empire. The name of
each was originally term Of re.
proach, the one epithet borrowed
from the bloody squabbles of Ire.
land and the other from the no
less repulsive dissensions of Scot
land. Originally applied as a
term Of reproach, they were caught
up dedantly and proudly worn as
political shsbboleths and phylac-
tsfies.
We heartily hope that the day
y not far distant when parties in
the United States, each emulous
5or the public good, and each rep
foDeuting the variable moods of
list voice Of the people which a
oheroughbred demsgogue or pa
Mot We don't pretend to determ-
- which, said was the voice of
BOD will look upon themselves
Nd upon each other not as gladi-
otors, seeking victory at all hax.
6tliss but as wings of the same