Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-21
TIE DUTY OF THE CIrlzsN.

Very seldom do we find in the remarks
of the eccentric Brooklyn preacher Tai
mage sentences that move us to their re-
production. But in a receIt note in a
magazine he gives expression to one
thought that we feel inclined to rescue
from magazine obscurity, and transfer to
the world of daily journalism. He said
"There is something melancholy in the
chase for office, when we reflect that the
vast majority must come to disappoint-
ment. The same amount Of struggle in
some straightforward business would give
a man surer livelihood, easier conscience
and higher responsibility. All which is
well enough and true in one sense, and very
pointedly put. But there is insufficient
justification for the sweeping charge with
which he follows it up "To be success.
full politician, in our day, SO much lying
and stealing and bribery are considered
necessary, that generally by the time
man has been ten or fifteen years in politics
he has no more principle to surrender" The
tendency of the "machine in poll.
tics is vioious-professiona office-seek-
ing is demoralizing. But to class
all successful politicians as unprinci-
pied is without warrant in reason
or fact. All citizens should be politicians,
and in one sense successful ones. They
should take an interest in public affairs,
intelligently, shrewdly and vigorously so.
They should manifest the same concern in
the selection OF officials and the establish
ment of the policy of the country and in
the administration of public departments
and the welfare of the masses that the
conscientious ruler in monarchy should,
who feels his responsibility and does not
delegate his powers to the upprincipled
clase, for here the citizen is the ruler, and
the aggregate Judgment of citizens form
the edict of the only sovereign we recog.
nize. Rightly viewed and rightly pursued
then, political action, policies and con.
tests being necessity in our form of gov
eminent, should be engaged in by every
true citizen. Politics should form a por.
ton OF mis- study-he cannot afford to per-
init class in which he has no confidence
to usurp his right in this respect, or to abb
sorb his privilege. The citizens whose in.
tegrity is of such delicate character that !
they dare not become active in the
political field for fear their white robes |
may be soiled, and who will not act |
with those who deem politics part of the
governmental system demanding the
thought, attention and control of the con
scientious, are of the class that will,
when occasion offers, manifest viciousness
and dishonesty in any walk, and do no.
need the opportunities political activity
affords to become pronounced scoundrels.
We invariably suspect the citizen of in
sincerity who declares that the filthy
pool of politics 10 too miry for "hin." II
it is foul, it is his bounden duty to bend his
energies to its publication, and no other
agency will accomplish it. Because the
temptations in political life are very great,
because the vicious and unprincipled avail
of the opportunities offered, because the
professional ofiice-seekers make politics a
trade and sink selt.respecs and princi.
pie 10 the business, are precisely the
reasons why lofty standard of citizenship
should be set up, and every effort made on
the part of professional politicians to
maintain it. We want open, honest, cour
ageous engagement in politics by men who
realize that the State has some claim upon
them, and that to it they owe a solemn
duty which is continuing and never to be
discharged. By such, machine politics
may be reduced to the minimum Of influ.
ence, the vicious and the unprincipled be
driven into obscurity or compelled to &C
knowledge the power and domination OF
the right thinking and sincere. The men
who are SO pure and so fearful of contain
ination that they must needs withdraw
themselves from politics and leave the field
to the professional, the boss and the ma.
chinist, are the men who are primarily and
finally responsible for the degradation Of
politics, and whatever of evil that in con.
sequence may be visited upon the country.
at least, if the majority is vicious and
wrong-headed, as Mr.. Arnold would have
US believe, it is sill the more incumbent
that the pure remnant should buckle on
the armor and enter the lists in resistance
OF the evil-and for that minority
politics have no communicating influence.