Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-16
TIE DUTY OF THE CITIZEN IN POLITICS

The only rule Of judgment to be adopted
in a representative form of government,
relative to the representative body. is that
which accepts the representative as an
average of the people who elect him. 1t
is supposed to be popular to decry Con-
gressmen, for instance, as not represent
ing the best element; but they do repre-
sent the average thought, intelligence and
honesty of the electors. To assume any
other position is to deny that the electors
are competent to judge of their own wants,
or are fitted for self government, and there
fore pure democracy is not the best form
OF government. It was evidently with
these truths in mind that Senator Hawley,
in his recent address in Boston before the
Civil Service Reform Association, rebuked
that superior class of people who are for
ever harping upon uncieanness of poll
do nothing to remedy the abuses they
charge to exist. So long as they do not
take an active part in politics they must
be held to consent to all that ia done by
those who participate, and hence are
estopped from denying that the resulting
representation does not represent them.
It is affecsation to hold oneself aloof from
the political field. No man is too good,
too exalted, too pure, TO refuse to assist in
bettering the institutions Of his country,
and the initial methods for SO doing are the
publication of party, the convincing of
electors of truth, and the exercise of
controlling influence in political fields to
that end. Politics Go not give vitality
TO nations as Holland put it years ago,
'the life of stream does not depend upon
the way of its flowing; diversion and
change by artificial means do not hinder it
from finding the ocean to which it tends.
So party policy may change the direction
of national life, but it has no power to
save that life." The fact is, that policies
grow on. of national life. Now as the
mode Of that life is important, and affects
every man and all he has for good or i'll, it
becomes the duty of every man to engage
in all laudable efforts to improve the mode.
Just as it is the duty of every man to con-
serve his physical growth, so is he under
obligation to cultivate the stature CT his
country. Every citizen sustains special
relation to the State as to his right to free
dom, to attain the highest moral excel
lence, and to enjoy the greatest need of
happiness. Bat there is no right unaccom-
panied by an obligation, and except one
expatriate himself he cannot avoid the po-
litical obligation. There are no human OBJ.
legations of more exalted character than
political ones, since the enjoyment of all
civil rights depends upon the State, the
mode of life of which depends in turn upon
the political voice. It is not sufficient TO
render obedience TO authority; every citi-
zen should be felt in the political action
that determines the scope and direction of
authority. The only true course for the
good citizen is to labor for improvement in
the mode of national life by endeavors to
direct the political voice of the State at the
ballot.box. Political leaders should be the
product of the will of the followers when
they ara the commanders they become but
"bosses," and the followers but depend
ents. The unity of action of good men in
politics will not prevent the union of bad
men, but it may thwart the aims of the
latter. The motives for the actions OF such
are always to be measured by party re.
wards and personal gains. It follows that
tue loyalty to representative form of