The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-04-20
THE LACK OF INTEREST IN
POLITICAL. AFFAIRS.

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interest in politics." often accompa-
MED by remarks which indicate that
in the opinion of the speaker, the
consideration of public affairs is
quite beneath the attention of the
better class of men, to which, as a
matter of course, the speaker assumes
to belong. Perhaps it is useless TO
expend any effort upon this class OF
men, yet if something could be done
to awaken an interest in political
affairs in that large class of young men
who are to-day SO absolutely with
out interest in public matters, polti-
cal in their character, that they are
ignorant of our methods of Legisla-
ton and government and of our po-
litical history, it would prove great
blessing to the country.
The most remarkable feature of
this apparent lack Of interest in pc.
litical matters is the fact that it is
chiefly confined to young men who
have enjoyed the best educational
and social advantages-the very class
of young men who, from their posi-
sition, would have a Statutory infu-
ence if they could be made to feel it
to be the imperative duty of all good
citizens to make themselves familiar
with political affairs and to take an
actual part in every political or munic-
ipal contest.
In this connection it may well
to note that willie the class of oung
men of whom we have been making
note are largely confined to the cities,
yet they unfortunately exist among
the better class of the young men in
the rural districts, where all future
success depends upon the wisdom of
our law makers, who in the vast major
ity Of cases are to be elected by and
from the men who live in these rural
districts. But while this apathy
among men is so general, we are
more than pleased to know that
in many of our cities and larger
towns there is a class of young men
who have not enjoyed the best adj
vantages for an education, and whose
Surroundings have not been the
most favorable, who are maintaining
clubs Of 4 semi political character
in which parliamentary law and more
general political questions are fully dis
cussed. The result of these club
meetings are specially noticeble in the
fact that the young men associated in
them take deep interest in all po-
litical matters. They are always in
attendance upon their party caucuses
and have Statutory influence on
the selection of candidates, besides
they aiaOayS vofe, and their vote is an
intelligent one, which enables them
almost impreceptably to exert pow
erful influence for good in all their
party action. More than this, such
discussions and inquiries will give to
all who may engage in them a degree
of independence which will lead
them to judge for themselves, and
thus be enabled to intelligently break
away from blind obedience to those
who assume to be party leaders, es-
pecially from the dictation Of would
be party bosses.
If, as we have attempted to show,
these organizations are SO beneficial
to those engaged in them, it is a per-
tinent inquiry why are not such or
CARNATIONS to be found among those
who have haG better advantages :!
In answer to that inquiry, young
man of culture who does take deep
interest in political matters, replied
that "most young men have so many
sources of entertainment that they
have no time to give to political SUBJ
1
jects." And this is probably the
true reason, but it is far from being
a good one. Neither does it help
the matter, for no man can be true
American who does not understand
the underlying principles on which
our form of government is founded,
and it does not help the matter one
iota simply for us to know that young
men of general intelligence find
nothing to interest them in the politi.