The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-06
FRAUDS IN POLITICS.
The Reflections of Veteran on the InfOrma-
ton of the Average Politician.

Sometimes when pause" remarked a man
prominent in the politics OF Indiana, as he sat in
one of the leading hotels yesterday smoking a
cigar, with the langud deliberation of one accom-
plished in the tobacco habit, and he repeated,
sometimes when pause to think of many of
the absurdities and incongruites which belong,
or rather go with the politics of this great and
glorious country of ours, l feel like going out
to hold a conversation with the grinning image
in the moon. Did you ever stop to think how
few men in politics. or out, have read the Con
stitution and how little they know about the
common principles of the government that they
imagine they are running! How many men do
you meet that can tell the difference, for exam
pie, between federal and State courtsl How
many men, to sweep up all their political igno-
rance together in a single question, know from
the knowledge of having read it, that
we have State Constitution!
Taken all together they will not average one to
a hundred. While so much is being said about
the history of the war not being taught in our
public schools, it is strange that some inquiry is
not made about the teaching of our govern
mental Constitution. The pupils know less about
the Constitution than they do about the war,
and as qualification for intelligent citizenship,
it is essential that they should know more
THE Constitution of the United States is in
cluded IN the course OF instruction In the puplE
schools, suggested the reporter.
Eyes, but it is taught in such way that the
pupil comes from school knowing as little about
it as if it had never been written The history
OF the war has been taught more thoroughly and
intelligently than the Constitution at any time
since we have had public schools, and the aver
age student knows more about it. The best way
to get at the truth of this assertion is to ask
them. The State Constitution was read more
two years ago. when the amendments
OF
time for very long while. If the men who be-
come candidates for representative in the Legis
lature should be asked if they had ever read the
State Constitution, not one-half of them could
nation of the average politician is inflated
derfully The gift of talking loud amounts to
much more than knowledge or modest thought.
It's the ostentatous thing that takes in
America on the rostrum of poll
tics, just as the sensational
melodrama on the stage. The political speak
ing is all to start hurrah. The people who go
to hear political speeches hear nothing but the
hurrah before the beginning and the hurrah at
the end They go to political meeting just as
people go to a horse race; they want to see the
horses start, they don't care about watching the
race through, but they want to be around when
the winning horse goes past the judges stand.
Whenever campaign speaker asks when he
goes into "a town, What shall I talk aboutF
you may set it down that he
will fire off the same old Declaration of hide
pendence speech. There's little originality in
politics. The change of issues is simply shift
ing of the same old scenes that have been used
over and over before. The purpose subserved
by politics is to give the people something to
talk about and discuss pro and con. The cOun-
try is not going to ruin. We are an arguments
tive people, and politics is the bone for conten-
ton. If there was not so much of politics there
would be more of religion and religious strife.
It's the history of the world. Men must con
tend-it's their disposition. Another thing:
whenever a man comes to you and tells
you that it was through his influence certain
candidate was elected, never say anything to let
him think that you know better. He has right
to think so, just as one man of all men. When
ever they come to me-and there are hundreds
that belong to that class-I always acknowledge
their services. thank Them and ask continu-
ance of their friendly regard. The man who has
influence belongs to the same class as the politi-
clan VINO goes about looking mysterious. with
''Sh, there's hen on! Set it down that they
are both frauds