Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-29


ed in the afternoon On the occasion of the
celebration OF the associate alumni. The
Howard Opera House orchestra fur
nlshed music. After prayer by the chap
lain, Rev f. II. ByinStou of Worcester,
Mass, the vice president of the associa-
ton, Rev. |. a. Hopkins, introduced Hon
Matthew Hale Of Albany, y. Y, who de-
llvered al Grafton ONT Civilization in the
l nlted States.
MR.. HALE's GRAFTON.
Mr. Hale.began his Grafton by referring
to Matthew Arnolds recent criticism of
American civilization, and after defining
the word went on to discuss the condition
of civilization in the United States
First, now does our solution" in this
country OF the political problem affect
the civilization Of the people? Our gov
eminent Is III theory, one in which all
the people are supposed to participate.
Every citizen Is Or ought to be.
sovereign Presidents, senators, gov
ernOrH and representatives, in Congress
aud in the State Legislatures, are or ought
to be. his servants Every citizen is sup
posed t. Inform himself 80 far as NAV be
necessary intelligently to perform the du-
ties OF citizenship, upon questions of gov
ernmentll and State polity. He is ex-
pected to give his vote and influence in
accordance with what, upon due delibera-
ton and full consideration, he believes to
be for the best interest of the country, the
state, and the municipality in which he
lives. 80 far rs this theory is carried out,
Its endency is to promote and advance the
civilization OF the people. Whatever calls
n ems attention to the welfare of the whole
people, III distinction from their own
selfish interests, tends to civiliZe and hu.
mamie them. 1t is not meant, by any
means, that this alone will make cult
Vated and renned and highly civilized
people, but 1t tends in that direction. The
man who feels that because he is citizen,
he 10 some extent responsible for the
WE + being of the State and acts upou
thu conviction, is likely to be a better and
more cultivated and more "humanizedn
man than one who feels that he has moth
ing whatever to do with the government
of his country, except to obey laws which
others make, aud as to which, he feels
that he neither has nor can have, anything
to do, dire city or indirectly. The
theory therefore, OF our government
is such as tends to promote civilization in
the higher and broader sense of the term
In the practical working, however, of our
political system, there are many things
not contemplated by its fran 4rs, and not
necessarily resulting from il, whose ten
deucy Is to check and retard and not to
advance or promote civilization. One of
the most formidable of these checks and
hindrances to civilization accrung from
the practical working of our political sys-
tenn, Is intense and unreasoning partisan
ship. We find most of the people of the
country divided into two great parties
which are, every four years at least, pitted
against each other like two great armies.
The great mass of the people, instead of
dellheratlng As to what meas ures are best
TOR the country, or what men are best for
representatives or senators or presidents
or governors, are content, either with
striving in season and ont of season, to
promote the success vi their own party, or
without any particular interest or inquiry,
follow ing meekly in he wake of those who
have constituted themselves their party
leaders. This state of thiugs is, of course
encouraged by such party leaders
Their greatness depends upon it.
Parties are controlled Uy primary meet
ing>, caucuSes and conventions. These
bodies adopt the form. and nominate
the candidates. They are in no proper
sense, deliberatlve bodies. They are gov
erned by sensation and 'enthusiaSm'
bands OF music, badges, portraits, shout
lngs, not reason or argument, are the
means adopted for Influencing them. The
orators no address them are esteemed
for the strength of their lungs, the full
Someness of their praise, the bitterness of
their denunciations, their inability to see
anything good in the opposing party or
ANYTHING bad in their own. 4 person
VITO in one of these tumultuouS assem-
blies should indulge in anything like a
fair or dispassionate argument, would be
almost unanimously voted a bore, and in
continently suppressed. The men who
control these bodies, for all practical pur-
poses, constitute the party. 1t is unuec-
essary TO say, therefore, that the party is
controlled by the best men in it. Parties
being so controlled, and the voting popu-
latiou thus divided, it is hardly to be eX
pected that parties should present for pop
ular support, their wiseSt and best men,
whose effort will be TO conduct the gov
e nment with the strictest regard to the
good OF the whole country, The attempt
rften frustrated by those who are
opposed TO any improvement in
party methods who look with suspicion
upon any candidates who give evidence
that they are better than The average of
their party.
Partisanship and our present mode of
government 10y caucus and convention,
are also check and hindrance to civili-
cation, because they aid and encour
age corruption in politics. The actually
venal aud purchaseabe votes of this coun-
try are few compare to the whole num-
Der hut the increase of wealth, and the
increasing use of wealth for party purpu-
SEES, have greatly increased their numbers.
a large corruption tupd' La> become in
many parts OF the nation, a Necessity of
the campaign. The degrading effect of
TINS usr OF money, and the dangers 10 Our
land resulting tHrrefrOn, cannot not he
ovtl --otlmuttd. W. r. the bulk of the
people Il .vl-hly adhere 10 their respective
parties, aud feel tl,msrhe, houud hy he
action Of the tumultupu- and unredsouug
bodies above described, the necessity, in
the minds OF the average politician, Of