West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-06-29

A. o. Huntington in North American
Review.

A. o. Huntington in North American
Review.
In q very fOrcible and thoughtful
article in the April number of the
RerieU, Mr.. Rossitcr johnson says
"If, with all our colleges, all oul
common schools, all our newspapers
all our periodicals, all our pulpits
all the free discussion that is CARR
ed on throughout the land, never
more than trifle over half of the
voters can find out what Is the wise
and honest course to be pursued
then Of what use are all these edu.
catiopal institutions and processes
And elsewhere in his article he re-
marks: an this day of newspapers
we ought to be able TO look to jour
nalism for the = enlightenment
of ballot-casters."
Mr.. johnson falls into the error
which influences 50 many other good
men, namely, the belief or presump'
ton that our political teachers are
capable of imparting corrcctinstruc-
tion and delivering unbiased iudg-
ment. Nothing is further from the
truth. Newspapers, common schools,
colleges, and pulpits, are all mario
ncttes, obeying the motions Of some
unseen wire-puller.
Did you ever see marionette per-
Torrance? II you have seen good,
frst-class one, you must have been
struck with the almost human intel
ligence which the actors displayed.
Reason told you that they were only
wooden figures, dressed up, and obey
ing the manipulations Of unseen per-
sons operating from above the
'.fies." Marionettes are not indigo
nous to this country, SO it is permits
sible for us 20 fatter ourselves that
the intelligence which they display
is not representative of American
ability.
If you have not seen q marienetts
performance, then, for your benefit,
let me say that marionettes are
wooden figures, to whose arms and
legs strings are attached, and each
marionette moves-indeed, lives
moves, and has its bcing-in the
manipulations Of the human being
at the other end Of the strings. The
simulated life thus impaired to
these insensate blocks of wood il
wonderfully realistic, and the per
Torrance Of the mariOnette is often
capable of giving greater pleasure
than would follow similar perform
ance by the manipulation behind the
scenes.
There are such things as political
bosses, and nowadays it is one Of
the principal duties Of q politicaI
boss to sit in the headquarters OF
his party and pull the strings which
political influence has previously at
tached to the arms and legs of teach
ers, editors, and orators. In the
marionette performance the words
of the play are spoken by persons
hidden in the swings" so, in the
political performance, the noble sen.
timents and political doctrines Of
public teachers and preachers are
put in their mouths by the boss oil
his agents. The teacher, editor, and
preacher are merely the creatures Of
the political boss. What he directs
them to teach or say, that the pub
lie hear.
The public teacher who, either
from the intensity of his convictions
or the purity of his character, wish
es to speak his mind TO the people
is not permitted by the party man
ayers to address the audiences which
assemble at party gatherings. Ht
is driven to some independent pub
llc meeting. II he be rich. lie car
hire hall and talk to those people
who, in one way or another, he has
induced to be present; if he be poor
bis only chance is to find footing
unon the nlatfOrms of the Laho,
party, the Temperance party, or The
Anti Povertyites. The regular pc
litical machines have no use fol
him, nor for any other man who
thinks independently of the political
bosses. They permit no man t.
speak at the public meetings which
they control who is not marionette
and whose words and actions are moi
directed by themselves.