Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-06-16

The annual reports and other current
business of the meeting of the board OF
trustees of the college were considered at
heir session yesterday, and further
Meeting was held in the college building
;o-day. Meanwhile an unusually large
number of old students have put in an
appearance in attendance upon the COM
festivities and the large men,
bership of the graduating class has at
tracted many unusual visitors to the exer-
cises.
There was quite a good-sized audience,
of high average degree Of intelligence,
in the court house last evening
to hear the biennial Grafton before the
literary societies, delivered this year, under
the auspices of the Diagnothian society, by
General w. H. Koontz, of Somerset. The
orator of the occasion, who was booked to
speak on American Politics." was intro
duced by E. X. Martin, esq, and occupied
about fifty minutes in the delivery Of his
address, which was apractical though pol
ished treatment Of the living issues of the
day touching our politics. 1t was listened
applause at many points in its delivery.
Following is an abstract Of it:
The age in which we live is intensely
practical. 1t is noted for the spirit Of in
quiry which prevails in every department
of human knowledge. There is no device
or contrivance of man, whether in govern
ment, law, art, science or anything that
pertains to mans condition in life that
escapes it. 1t is untiring in its investiga-
tions and remOrseless in its DEGREES. 1t
puts all the institutions of man upon trial,
and demands that valid reason be given
| for their continuance. Its achievements
are marvellous. 1t has penetrated the
earth and explored its hidden recesses it
has reached out into the heavens and cal
culated the distance and magnitude OF the
stars it has lifted mankind to higher
plane of thought and action. Among the
things subjected to its test are the forms OF
government by which mankind are con-
trolled, 1t is right that the most search
ing examination should be made into all
forms of government and the evils eradi-
Gated, as it is an instrumentality by which
mankind may either be elevated or de-
graded.
Government is one of the necessary
conditions of life With it there is
security to life, person and property. II
brings in its train trade, commerce,
wealth, the arts and sciences, and all that
constitutes the real glory of the state
Man has been able to invent not few
forms of government, monarchy, aristOc-
racy and Democracy. Ours is Demo
cratic Republican government. Not such
as existed in former times, when the peO
pie met in large plain and selected theil
leader and regulated the affairs of state. Oul
country is just trifle too large for that
Our government is a representative one
and political power is entrusted to thu
agents of the people. We are governed
by a written constitution and the govern
ment is divided into three separate
branches, legislative, executive and judi
cial. Our government is duplex ii
character, consisting of the national gov
. ernment and the governments of tn
several states.
do not propose to speak of America
politics in it's enlarged sense, that is, tn
administering the affairs of government
for that would he entering the domain o
partizan politics, as every question relat
ing to state or national affairs is involves
in party politics. shall rather speak g
the evils corrected with the management
!, of all parties. A government in which tn
people rule must be governed by politics
parties. AS the people are the source {
all power, they will naturally divide upo
public questions. England has been rule
by parties for centuries and this govern
: ment since its organization is but a histOr
of party triumphs. Party strife is nece
sary condition of our form of government
and the good of the country requires tn;
each party be vigilant in bringing tt
}. wrong actions of its antagonists to hgh
The good of the country requires that pa
}, ties should be as nearly equally divided :
!; possible, so that neither may maintain i
;. ascendancy longer than it subserves the be-
:, interests of the country.
American politics may be summed up;
consisting mainly of two things, first, ge
ting office second, administering offic
g A party, in order to stamp its policy upo
t the nations laws, must first secure polit
% cal power, and before it can commence IL
~ struggle with it's adversary must prepa
- itself for the contest by nominating cand
. dates and defining its principles so tn;
l. before an election can take place, the
must be first the primary meetings to s
IS lect delegates and then conventions of de
e eeates to present candidates and define Il
" policy of the party.
~ The voter who would make his vote fe
must attend the primaries, and if he fai
T. to do so he has either to vote the ticket,
IS making which he has no choice, or tt
opposition ticket, or not vote at all. Ih
is the vital point in our system, for whe
nominations are made party lines a
IS drawn, and it is then frequently too la
it. to remedy the wrong. The system
~ nominating candidates is cumbrOus, e
pensive, and attended with many evil
especially in the larger centres OF popul
N tion. In the city of New York more
sr than in other cities; yet it is in the ma
De true as to all the great centres OF popul
,f ton that comparatively small class co
6 troll the politics, and by their course ha
> made them a bye word and broug
es our institutions into contempt. This G,
ty can only be cured by all good citize
le attending the primaries instead of !
manning away and deluding themselv
with the idea that it is only a scramble
place. In this course how blinded tn
i, are. They forget that the obligations al
- duties of the government and the peoI
s. are reciprocal that in turn for the prott
OF tion that the government gives them
e. life, person and property, there is d
n from them everything the highest intel
q. gence and patriotism can give. Some
"a has said that universal suffrage must
:" blended with universal education. b
V. that will not suffice if good, worthy a
!; patriotic citizens stay away from the p
ed marics, for then, instead of it being t
G. rule of wise, discreet and patriotic citizel
q Al Il