St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-23
TRAINING FOR POLITICS.
A Treatise Upon Its Necessity by Col.
George F. Soule.
EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYE.
The Effect Is Generally Mistaken for
the Cause---Bad Politicians, Not
Bad Politics.

or New Orleans, before the Business
Educators Association of America, now
in session at the CurtiSs Business col
lege, in which he urged the political
training of American youth, was recog-
nized by all who heard it as very COM
plete treatise upon an educational neces-
sity which has attracted too little atten-
ton. The sentiments uttered are en-
nobling, and point the way to solution
of some of the grave problems of Amer
lean politics. His utterance upon the
attitude of the South, coming from one
who fought for the lost cause, but who
believes in our united country, is espe-
cially refreshing at time political cap
ltal is being made out of sectional feel
ing. He said:
In my judgment the political training
of Americans should consist in supple
menting or in adding to good general
education knowledge of politics, of
political economy, of sociology, and of
ethics. These sciences constitute pO-
litical temple around which revolve in
ever widening circles the social, the
financial, the industrial, and the moral
progress of communities, of states, and
of nations. Before the shrine of this
temple have communed the grandest
intellects of India, of Egypt, of
Greece, of Europe, of Amer
lea. Manue, Narado, Moses, Plato,
Mill, Gladstone, Jefferson, Adams,
Hamilton, Bayard and Blaine have
wal SHIPPED at its shrine, and have re-
tiected the intellectual light of their
genius, their patriotism and of their
humanity upon its affairs. Through it's
potent influence the mind of man is
moulded for service in the field, the
off In L., L. 81
Washington, and his soul is adorned
with that browning grace which pre-
pareS it for the life of an angel in the
great White house of heaven. Surely,
if these grand results flow from a knOwl-
edge of the political branches of an
education, the teaching of them to
Americans is ''cOnSummation devOutly
to be wished. '"Tis true. it's pity, and
pity it's, tits true, that thus far in the
history of American government we
have not enjoyed all these blessings,
and this fact is one of the strongest
proofs of the necessity of this political
training of Americans. | am aware that
the words politics, political economy
and political ethics are offensive and re-
pulSive to many good-meaning fathers
and mothers. These good parents fear
that their dear boys and girls, whom
the surround with so many brilliant
hopes and possibilities would be con-
taminated were their education to in
clude these subjects. Their repug-
nance and their parental fear in be-
half of the rising young results, think,
III every case from misunderstanding
of the true meaning of the words and
of the import of the purport of these
subjects. And this misunderstanding
regarding
THE TRUE MEANING
results from the fact that we have in all
of our political parties such a large per
cent OF selfish, avaricious, ignorant,
laW-breaking, immoral and ambitiOusly
patriotic officeholderS and officeseekerS.
native and imported. By reason of this
fact it is maintained by the nOn-logical
mind that politics is the cause of all the
evil and impurity of society, and hence,
politics or anything that bears the
name of politics should be kept from
the young American. Those who rea-
son in this manner substitute the effect
for the cause. If they would investi-
gate the trne facts they would find that
1T is not politics that makes men bad,
etc, but, on the contrary, that it is bad
and Ignorant men-men who are igno-
rant of politics and of political econo-
my, men who are non-possessors and
non-uSerS of the great principles of
political ethlcS-that make bad politics.
bad society and bad government. Ig-
norance is stagnant pool, whose filthy
waters demoraliZe and contaminate:
while from the fountain of knowledge,
of whatever name, flow perpetually
crystal streams which civiliZe, purify
and humanize. Ignorance is the devil
of prejudice, vice and slavery: while
knowledge is the god of charity, virtue
trpndnn I of 1nr1 e
these branches of political knowledge
and see it they contain anything to
justify the prejudice and fear that is
manifested against them.
BY politics is meant. in the sense in
which iii employed here, the art and
science of government, the preServa-
ton OF its safety, peace and prosperity:
the defense of its existence and rights
against foreign foes: the protection of
its citizens and their rights with the
preservation and improvement of their
morals. Surely all these are wise and
noble purposes-purposes that eyery
country and child-loving parent can but
favor and encourage.
SecOnd-Political economy. By this
expression is meant the frugal finan-
clal management of any undertaking
or enterprise, corporate, state or ma
tional. Or it may be defined as the
science or branch of social philosophy,
which considers and treats of sciences,
means and methods of developing and
increasing the wealth of the people, of
communities and of nations. Here
again we find nothing but what is wise
and humane; nothing to excite fear of
adverse prejudice.
Third-Sociology. This word is
coined from SOciuS. companion, and
social caInnnn al, of
philosophy which treats of human So
ciety. 1t considers man in his varied
social relations, including both of the
above subjects, politics and political
economy. AS in the two preceding
cases, so in this. We can discover
nothing in the word or in the fruit that
may result from the teaching of this
science that should alarm the soul of
the good citizen and the good parent.
FOurth-Ethics. or political ethics. By
ethics is meant the science of human
duty, of honesty and right action. By
political, or social ethics, is meant the
the people of the state, or of society.
Ethics consider the moral habits, man.
ners and conduct of man in all of his
actions in politics, in political economy
and in sociology-though man does not
always consider ethics in such actions.
Considering these definitions and
CONTEMPLATING THE GRAND RESULTS
of improved government, of material
and of human happiness, that would
follow the dissemination of these sci
ences we can but lament that there are
any Americans who hold them in dis
favor. Let us hope that the day is not
far distant when the political training
of Americans shall receive the attention
due its merits. For the good of Rome
| and the welfare of Romans every Roman
boy was taught the twelve tables
of the law. So, for the good of
America and the prosperity, honor