St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-11-13
Aner Election.
SENSIBLE TALK FROM A LEADING RE
LIGIOUs PAPER.


for those who are disappointed at the
- result, whose candidate has been de-
feated but whether for the supporters
of Mr.. Blaine or for those of Mr.. Cleve-
land we do not know. We only know
that, unless all signs fail, the election
will be very close one, and the sue
cessful candidate will he elected by n
small popular majority.
]. The canvass has been one of
great moral obscurity but it does not
indicate moral indifference on the part
of the American people. Mr.. Blaine's
election will not mean a conformation
of political corruption Mr.. Cleve-
lands election will not mean "A condo
nation of moral impurity. The yonng
men of the republic will not so inter
pref it; for the young men of the re-
public are not fools. The public were
in perplexity concerning facts, not
principles. If Mr.. Blaine is elected it
is because his supporters believe him
is elected it is because his supporters
believe him now to he pure man.
The nation is not Indifferent as to
either honesty or purity.
Your party organs have been telling
you that the opposite party is one of
knaves. The two party cries have
been, Turn the rascals out Keep the
rascals out. Both party cries are false /;
they are treason to the American peo-
pie ; they are treason to republican,
ism. There are good men in both par
ties; rascals in both parties. Neither
party is made up of saints neither
party is made up of sinners. Presi-
dent Eliot has urged the young
men to vote for Mr.. Cleveland cx-
President Woolsey has advised them
to vote for Mr. Blaine. There are no
purer or more high-minded statesman
in the country than ex-President
Hayes, who advocated Mr.. Blaine's
election, and Mr.. Bayard, who advo-
Gated the election of Mr.. Cleveland.
The last three presidential elections
have been very close; the people have
been very nearly evenly divided. One
might well despair of the republic il
he could believe that half its citizens
are corrupt or even the easy and will
ing instruments of corrupt men. 1t is
not true. The standard of moral char
acter is far from what il ought to he in
America but it is higher than in Eng
land, France or Germany. Whoever
has been elected you have no causc to
despair of the republic.
>. And as the significance of your
defeat is not what your party organs
have been telling You it would he, 50
neither will its results justify their aw-
full prognostications of evil. The pres
ident is the executive of the nation.
His powers are limited: first, by the
constitution. which defines both his
sphere of action and his powers within
that sphere; second, by the legislative
department, which enacts the laws he
must administer; third, by the judi
cial department, which defines his du-
ties and protects the rights of every
citizen from encrOachment fourth, by
his party, which dares not transgress
the still narrower bounds set for it by
public opinion, lest it be elected from
power four years from now. He has
far less power in shaping legislation
than the prime minister of England, OF
even than the speaker of our own
house of representatives. His election
is important chiefly as it indicates the
state of public sentiment in the nation.
Under our system of local self-gov-
eminent the matters which most i'm
mediately concern the people are left
to their determination in the local
communities. The prime minister of
England appoints county officials
the prime minister of France, the
maircs or heads of the communes OF
townships. The educational system
of England is administered under a
minister of education so is that OF
France. The whole well-being of the
nation, therefore, hinges on nation
al election.
When the reactiouaries carry Bel
gium. they close the public schools :;
when the liberals carry Belgium they
reopen them. In America no such
consequences follow Il national cleo
ton. The matters of gravest concern
are determined by local elections. The
complexion of our public schools and
our public school teachers exercise IA
far more important influence ON the
destiny of the nation than the politics
of the president or the political char
acter of congress. Your personal pros
perity is as intimately bound up with
the condition of your town roads as
with any but half dozen exceptional
bills which congress is likely to pass
The most important election is that of
the school district: next. that of the
township next, that of the county !;
next, that of the state next, that of
the congressional district: last. and
least of all. comes that of the president.
Massachusetts and New York have
gone on steadily improving in wealth,
in culture, in material and moral ad-
vantages, in war and in peace, through
all administrations There are other
states of which this is equally true.
There are still others that have been
comparatively stationary. Oftwo towns