New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-19
cnEArCH4NcEs EoR YOrNG MEM.

There are a great many young men in the
country who are longing to dossomcthng to
distinguish themselves and benefit mankind.
4 large proportion OF them were graduated
last month. Professors who must he learned,
because their ordinary lectures OF political
economy are quite unintelligibe to the average
stud mt. and must be distinguished, for their
names are constantly in the newspapers. have
been preaching to them the doctrine that the
mass of mankind are either knaves or fools:
he knaves being all who succeed in politics,
and the fools those who help them up and are
imposed upon by them. The young men
fresh from these instructions have a great
desire to rescue society and the state, ana re-
buke the dreadful men who run with political
machines and lower the tone of American
politics. They are looking about them in
a very knowing way for good place to begin
in the great work they have set for them
selves of purifying politics and elevating the
tone of public life. They are quite certain
that everything is going to the dogs unless
something is done, but not yet seeing place
to take hOdall parties beipg more or less
political "machines and as such objection
able-they have not yet got their gloves oil.
They stand sull plying the masses and de-
spising the rulers
The ranks of voting citizens are swclled
every year 10y the advent of this class OF young
men. They are honest and earnest. and really
anxious to 10 something to better politics, but
they are for the most part exceedingly fresh OF
this only time and experience can cure them
The process is sometimes slow, but 1t Is
very sure. Last years graduates have
found out by this time that though there
are bad politicians, they ale not all bad
Graduates of two years have learned that
though party machinery" is sometimes per
verted to mischevous ends, it is not always so !;
| and still other graduates have found out that
parties cannot exist without the machinery OF
organization. These latter, haN ing reached the
philosophic stage, have ceased wasting time in
| Quixouc attempts against machines simply
as machines and have settled down to pa
tent endurance of evils they cannot cure, while
avaing themselves of teasonable and prac-
teal methods ia common with other sensible
and honest men TO promote all sensible re-
| forms. The young man who, having been told
| in the classroom that political " machines are
| hostile to educated men and are the means OF
| keeping them out of public life, and accord
ingly proceeds to fight the machine as soon
| rs he leaves college, makes the same mistake
| the smaller boy does who turns around and
| kicks the stump against which he stubbed his
toe. Both learn something from it, and are
not often found repeating it.
There is never any lack of advisers for these
fresh young men. The " Kicking " press makes
a business of coddling them; telling them
what tremendous things they may do il they
try, and just how to begin doing them. The
Kicking" press is by the necessity of its own
nature opposed to "machlne management,
for the rea on that it wants to do all the man
| aging itself. 1t follows up the young men with
| erhortations to 1scratch regular tickets
| why 7 because the regular ticket is not its own
choice. 1t urges the young men to call indie
pendent conventions and nominate independ-
ent tickets why because the regular conven-
tions have not nominated the candidates
proposed by the Kicking press. The voters
| who listen to these solicitations RANGE fiom