The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-02-10
your mothesl They may say moth

yOW "vt"Sis' tuSy may S~y uotu-
ing to you about these things, indeed
they may know little Of them. bu,
however that may be, they are of just
as vital Importance TO them as to you.
There Is 70 occasion for their hearing
much about them. but you are under
obligations to know all there is 10
learn. Would you be careless with
a trust so sacred? We know YOU love
your mothers. though you are some
times dreadfully afraid that someo' c
will discover it. You seem to fear
that il is an evidence of weakness TO
make any demonstration of your
affection. but assure you there is
no more beautiful picture than that
Of a young men showing unconscious
devotion to his mother Il may seem
unreasonable 10 you. but think you
ought TO take your hat off just as
gracefully to your own mother as to
your best girls mother.
would not be understood to n axe
the sweeping assertion that all young
voters are careless and thoughtless of
their obligations, but / believe a large
proportion Of them TO be SO. The
fact is, that our boys generally inherit
their political affiliations aud prefer
to accept them and follow their ex-
ample of their fathers, than to think
seriously about the matter themselves
Were it not matter Of business, Of
profession or or personal taste, one
would feel no liberty to criticize, blu,
this is thing in which we are all
concerned.
think the apathy with which
young men regard the subject, is as
tonishing, for they are wide awake on
every other. They are ambitious in
business, intelligent in society and in
sports. Oh! how enthusiastic about
everything from grand military
prize drill to grand rowdy prize
fight. And they display an aptness
for learning the details Of these sports
IA quickness OF comprehension that
is wonderful to the uninitiated. Why
during the base ball season one
rarely meets a boy from ten years
old to twenty-one who cannot ex-
press carefully formed opinion of the
strength Of every club in the league.
He knew for weeks before the season
ended. just the chance of each club
to win the pennant. He would tell
you promptly that Brouthers had the
best batting average; he knew who
had made the most home runs and
he can tell you now, just how many Of
the St. Louis Browns will play next
year with the Brooklyn club. But
ask some of those same enthusiasts
who would be President Of the United
States if Grover Cleveland should
die, and not more than three out Of six
would know. and the other three
wouldn't care whether we should
have any President or not. Our
national game is all right for a
pastime but why will young man
spend SO much time, study and in
vestigation on a subject which has
not a dollars worth of importance
to him (unless he bets) and when he
comes to perform an action in which
is involved honor, principle and duty
to self, and home and country make
no preparation for ii.
And just last word boys, we are
on the eve of another campaign and
just now is good time to begin
looking the matter up. You may say
that you do not want to mix up with
politics, that they arc corrupt and
managed by system of machinery.
But you wiN mix up with them to the
extent of voting and it is just such
indifference as yours that makes
machine politics possible, just such
indifference that encourages toady-
ism to corrupt elements. Oh! boys
Of America. it is for you TO decide
what the next generation OF our gov
errors shall be. This is your duty
TO your country and | charge you, do
it truly and well. Think of the blood
that has been shed to give you land
of freedom and liberal education and
make yourselves worthy of 1t by
striving to be the ideal American
citizens that Washington and Jeffer-
son intended you to be.
Never until its citizens vote for
principle instead OF party, until they
vote conscientiously and earnestly
and insist that the men for whom
they vote shall do their work in the
same manner, will the United States
be the model it ought to be. Then
only will all fear Of anarchism and
rebellion be removed. feel prompt
ed to quote Longfellow's prophecy;
Down the dark futaro, through long generations,
The echoing sounds grow fainter and then cease,
And, like bell, With solemn, sweet vibrations,
hear once more the voice o: Christ say Peace"
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