Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-26

College graduates are receiving great
deal Of advice AS they step from the halls
OF learning to take their places among the
toilers of every day life. Occasionally
they are advised as to the course to be
pursued in regard to politics. but the ad-
vice received often comes from men I'M
practised and untaught in practical poll
tics. How can they properly teach that
of which they know nothing themselves
Men who habitually abstain from taking
part in caucuses and conventions. and
even stay away from the polls on election
day because they think the touch of Il par
ty vote is communicating, are not the per-
sons to give sound and wholesome advice
to young men in regard to political mat
tiers. The best advisers are those who
take an honest and active part in politics.
Senator Warner Miller of New York, on
Wednesday. delivered an address to the
graduating class of Union College, Schen-
ec,ady, the subject of which was: 1.-The
Position and Duties of Educated Men in
a Republic In this advice he gave some
excellent advice, which is as good tor
other graduates AS tor those whom he ad-
dressed. We copy the following from it
come now to the discussion of your prop
err position and duties in the political life of
our people. Burke has sand: Party
divisions, whether on the whole operating for
good or evil, are things Inseparabe from free
government" No government in which the
people held the controlling Influence was ever
carried on save through the lnstrumantality
OF parties You are to take YOUR position IN
one or the other OF the great parties into
which the body polite is divided. The de-
cision AS to which It shall be is of great i'm
por,ance to you. 1t will largely intluence, If
it does not control Your career. Perhaps
YOU have already made your choice, moved
thereto by associations or early training.
Before making the choice irrevocable, you
should carefully study the history of your
country. II you do YOU will ind that parties
are not the ephemeral aud uncertain orgaui-
cations they are sometimes represented to he.
but that the underlying principles and poll
cies of the parties OF today are not material
ly different from the principles and policies OF
the Two original parties As organized under
the leadership of Thomas Jefferson and
Alexander Hamilton.
Parties may change their names, they sell
dom change their principles | do not pro-
pose TO go into any discussion of existing
parties, their theories or acts, but to cali
your attention TO the necessity of your active
participation in our politics. Principles of
administration and matters of public interest
are only carried into execution through the
agency of political parties If you are to
exert your proper and legitimate influence
on public affairs, YOU can best do SO through
your connection with political party. You
should be party men in the best and fullest
sense of the term. Your conscience and in
tellect first approving the principles and poll
cies OF your party, you should work Jealous
" and honestly for its triumph.
II at any time you find your party con-
troled by disreputsble methods aud with cor
rupt men in its management, do not abandon
il and seek TO defeat il by going over TO the
opposition You cannot do il without being
untrue to the principles which you have es-
poused. But rather exert all your energies
to correct the methods and to drive into OBJ
security the corrupt leaders.
You will be told by the modern political
philosopher, who is too independent and
good to belong to either party, but who for
ages on both, that the way to purify party
is to desert and defeat it. Such might be
correct prinCipie oi PoiitiCal aCtiou II tHeft
were no radical differences between the par
ties and il the only question of Importance
WAS one of correct administration. But q
careful survey of the history of the parties of
our country will show that even repeated de-
feats have never produced radical changes in
the policies of parties nor done much to
change their methods or leaders.
True reform must come from within the
party. not from without. The intelligence
and virtue of party must assert itself, de-
mand recognition, and seize leadership. If
the intelligence and virtue of a country do
not govern it, the ignorance and venality will.
know there is much modern teaching the
tendency of which is to keep educated men
and scholars from taking part in public af-
fairs. Too many American colleges are turn
ing out a class Of young men who are making
no adequate return to the State for their
education They hold themselves aloof
from politics as though they feared contami