Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-13
A CHAPTER ON THE TOO GOOD,

NAASoN wiz ltipiC lHC uStStlS Vi ilOlllA-
cal machinery-and which are after each
election prominent in public thought
have the habit of charging them to the
Discrimination of the passive class of good
citizens" to mix in matters of political
concern. The implication is that if the
morally superior people would only take
part, there would be no more triczery and
wrong
Who compose the apathetic class
Many merchants, traders, mechanics, the
extremely wealthy, and many professional
men. They are assumed to be patriotic,
honorable and in all ways good citizens .
and DESTROYS of purity in politics and gov
eminent. But they are self-isolated from
party management, and it is assumed that
II is because they are above the level of
the common. In short, that they are too
good to swim in " the filthy pool"
Now, if these people are so richly en-
lowed with virtues, why do they fail to
manifest them in political directions (?
Political interest is the foremost requisite
of the patriot; the welfare of his country
is his chief public concern. So far as the
trading class is included in the passive, cit
Is to be said that commerce does not ex-
pand the mind in the direction of patriot
ism. The spirit of trade fosters the sell
fish interest. It is most frequently not the
kind of spirit demanded in good govern
ment, since it regards first its own inter
est. The trader who is patriotic, usually
rises superior to the demands of his call
ing. The apatbetic artisans and workers
ARE generally so because they falsely
assume the hopelessness of attempt; the
professional man, because of absorption of
his intellectual activity by his calling the
wealthy, by cool indifference and the self
content that comes with knowledge of
ability to take care of ones self, and of
financial superiority to situations and CON
ditions.
But all these are apathetie, also, because
Of dissemination to risk being smirehed by
handling the kettle-in other words the
apathetic are self-conyinced of their per-
sonal political purity, and decline to get
down" to the unpleasant work of purify
ing the political system, simply because it
is an unpleasant task and calls for the
touching of pitch. On the other hand
the political managers take men as they
find them; they generalize, they study
human nature; its weaknesses are their
weapons their intelligence is devoted
to discovering open joints in other armor
and closing up the riyets in their own
Their study of the selfshness of men gives
them the ability to control, but they
never attempt it with the strong. The
apathy of the passive is their capital in
trade. There is an active class. however.
that does concern them, and which they
cannot control. 1t is composed Of the
protesting who strive and fail, and loudly
complaining, charge all the evils of poll
tics upon the pessimists-to coin the
word. But the mistake of these protest
ants is in crediting the apathetic with all
goodness and purity and patriotism. Just
so hong as they are held up as models of
righteousness, and are led to believe that
their immaculate purity viii be invaded
by descent into the SPOOL the protestants
viii continue to have cause for their COM
planning.
The truth is, that as political response
bility rests upon all in republic, whoever
evades his share of it by apathy and un-
concern is a bad man, and the presence of
many such in the social system is a bad
symptom for the republic Evasion of
duty is immortality, and it is as true in
politics as in morals. Whoever ponders
ON the suggestion will find il to grow into
conviction of its truth. in his soul. Apathy
in the politics of the country, We repeat
is an ofiense, and the purposeful, non-vot-
ing and non-directing class are offenders
against good morals and good government:
they are " too pure and too good for
this world, and ought to be translated
forthwith
The error of the protesting, then, is in
holding up the passive class as social and
patriotic gods, TO be periodically impor-
tuned TO come down from their white
thrones and condescend to mingle with
mortal wickedness. They forget that the