National Republican., 1883-01-11
Ign ORANGE Among the Educated,


Ign ORANGE Among the Educated,
A man who does not care who holds office
in this republic ought not to be allowed to
vote, much les; ought he to be compelled to
do so. The registry of votes ought not to
embrace any man who. being registered the
previous year, refused to vote, unless he can
give good reason for his failure to partci-
pate in the election. The activity of thepr
fessional reformers would be well bestowed If
it could be engaged in dissipatng the dense
ignorance which exists among intelligent,
wealthy and fashionable people with regard
to the most common concerns Of the govern
ment. Indeed, the reform doctors would
often be called upon to heal them
selves. Even those charged with keeping
the statute book in repair often betray
wocful lack of knowledge concerning sub
jects of the gravest Importance. Our educa-
tion is at fault. The boys of our day are in
structed mainly to regard government, laws
and politics as something unworthy. The
mighty forces which contend for the mastery
among ten millions of voters are as contempti-
BILE in the eyes of large numbers of the teach
ers of youth as villainous saltpetre was odious
to the perfumed gentleman who so enraged
Hotspur. The measures which shall be held
desirable after a congress is elected engage
but small attention during a campaign COM
pared with that given to the railing of pre-
tentious critics against the candidates The
dainty fellows who are too Rsthetical
for politics are always pretending to
be shocked at the low order of men who
seem to suit the great body of the people.
As these political Bunthornes walk their
mystic way they delight the callow youths
who think they have grasped the ideal states
manship with little magazine reading, fur
nished them by the pens of geese of the same
variety of which they are goslings. Too
much reverence for what is in print is taught,
and too little attention is paid to exercising
the pupils common sense. Mr.. George w.
Curtis-our Oscar Wilde in politics-is at the
head of school as silly, absurd and grotesque
in its line as that led by the long haired
Oscar is in another. Better that our boys
should grow into manhood with some
! ideas as to the formation and growth
of the government-what motives in
spired its founders, what evils they sought
to avert which other nations had suffered,
what benefits they thought attainable through
governmental interference, the progress of
their experiments, and the lives of the public
men who have made an impress on their times.
The history of party governments, what
springs of human action are touched in their
control, and which most commonly exhibit
the most force-these things are worth know
ing. Free government must depend on free
suffrage, honestly conducted and intelligently
exercised. The progress of suffrage and edu-
cation, and how each are to be lib
Grated from improper drawbacks-are
not these of more Importance than
the relative merits of the English and the Chi
nese civil service? The only way to insure
the next generation against the ignorance on
public affairs which pervades this is to educate
the young. But if the educators are them
selves wise only in their own conceit, then
will it indeed be the blind leading the blind.
The stuff which passes for political economy
and reform is a mixture of the craft of the
lobby and the pretense of the shallow. The
lobbyist who gives dinners with the money
of monopolists can reel Off whole volumes OF
political economy and men without common
sense IN formulate reforms of which they
have d, but never thought, and spread the
coun overwith them through the agency OF
WISE ,en who think it easiest to do that Of
which the aesthetics Of the press will speak
we'll. We need more courage among the great
and more teachable modesty among the small
We need more virility in politics, more def.
ance of cant, and more honesty in ways ol
thinking. These will lead to a manly inter
est in the great affairs of a great nation, and
then we shall hear no more of compulsory
voting. Meanwhile let us conclude that the
citizen who does not want to vote is not fit tc
vote.