The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-02

taxes on the property Of our own people, and
imposing duties on the imports from other
nationsl
Our Senator's and Representatives are, for the
most part men of education; yet it is painfully
manifest that only those who are permitted to
remain long time in Congress have any broad
conception of the political needs of the Nation.
Ana these have to educate themselves in
scnool where mistakes are the guide-boards to
something better, and where party interests. and
| not the Nations, are. for the most part. the par
amount end of those who lead. The facilities
Tor obtaining correct knowledge of political
ethics in the halls of Congress are not the bess-
Ola men make poor students especially of sub
Jects they have ignored in their younger days.
The science of government is the science of
sciences lt touches US at every point The
difficult problem of adjusting human rights
as to have all In consistency with the liberty of
the citizen, or being able to make clear to him
that ne must surrender this, and give up
that. for the common good lift himself out
or himself, and become a willing worker in the
complex relations Of human society ahd govern
ment 1t is becoming more and more apparent
that the whole subject should be taught, not only
in our colleges and universities, but that civics
should also receive all the attention possible in
our common schools
The statutes of any people are the indices of
their civilization. Moral forces may, and do,
restrain and regulate the conduct of men to
some extent, but it requires the force of law to
correct existing evils. In the law books of any
people you can almost at glance whether
they have broad and intelligent comprehension
of the duty and scope of good government. Not
only must the rights of property be protected,
but the health and morals of humanity must
with equal care and vigilance be so
guarded as not to infringe on natural
rights. We have had great scholars and learned
scientists for centuries, yet during all this time
great evils, within the proper scope and power
of legislative correction. have scourged the
Yet these men of learning for want of proper
training, were not able TO discover and point out
a remedy.
While the pestilence that walketh in darkness
and wasteth at MONDAY has been doing it's dead
~ work in civilized lands for centuries it is
within comparatively recent times that the DESC
ation can be arrested by the
forcement of sanitary enactments Educa-
ton has thrown a food of light and dispelled
the superstitions in the domain of philosophy,
astronomy, geology, and in many other direc-
tions. but there has been but little progress in
broader and better comprehension of the rights
and obligations of citizenship.
1t will be seen that the range OF instruction in
the department of political philosophy would be
very wide, and it is Notifying fact that. if
every institution of learningin this country were
to enter this field and add such chair, with all
our host of scholars, with all our boasted culture,
the most of the departments would remain
filled by competent instructors. In this active
age this deficiency may soon be supplied. Let
are dead may remain Dead but the scholar of to-
day must know how to grappe with the things
that l1ve and that make so much, not only of
his own life. but of the lives of those around him.
Man must be the focal point for all this modern
light