Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-04-23
EDUCATION IN POLITICS.

New York Press
The future of the Republican party
depends upon the education of the
voters. This is more especially the case
wherever as in certain States of New
England, great numbers of foreigners
have been attracted by the rewards of
American industry to assume American
citizenship. The ignorant foreigner
gravitates by some law of instinct
toward the Democratic party. Educate
him, and the Democracy peels off with
the dirt and the ignorance. In Massa-
chusetts, in Connecticut, in Rhode
Island, as in one or two of the Western
States, the accession of Democratic
strength within the past ten years is
traceable almost wholly to an accession
of mass of voters in whom are indur-
ated alien prejudice and alien inability
to comprehend American principles.
The half dozen native Democrats and
Mugwumps may sit in their Brussels
carpeted clubs, distribute the offices and
listen to homilies on free trade and a
worlds market, but they and their
moonshine theories would amount to
no more than the smoke that curls from
their Havana cigars but for the mass of
alien superstition and prejudice that
cares nothing for their theories, but
supports their party.
This has been notably illustrated in
Wisconsin, where great Democratic
victory was won on the platform of an
tagenism to the English, or what might
more properly be called the American,
language. The language of Winthrop
and Williams, the language of Wash
ington and of Jefferson, the language
of the Declaration of Independence,
was not good enough for the foreign |
voters of Wisconsin,, and the Dem |
ocratic party had the baseness to
mount to power on this un-American |
and proclaim its victory |
the land!
1t is the same in New England. Most
of the men who voted for Russell in
cared nothing for him or
his tariff talk. Probably they had never
read, and would not care to listen to
line of his tariff reform theories. They
simply knew, and it was enough for
them to know, that he was against the
large majority of his fellow Americans,
and was willing to pander, in appear
ance, if not in heart, to the inclinations
Of an element not yet in sympathy with
American ideas and traditions. In New
York we find that Democracy has its
stronghold wherever the body polite is
gorged with the impurities of the most
undesirable class of immigration. And
wherever education is able to hold its
own, and to keep the public sentiment
healthy and intelligent, there the Repub-
ican party remains in the ascendency.
1t is, therefore, the duty of the Re-
Dublicans everywhere to support and
every proper means of popular
school, the press, the
library, the lecture, and, we should add,
he church of any and every denomina-
ion whose teachings and methods pro-
note morality. We should stay the I
orient or the torrent may overwhelm
IS. Not that the Republic is in danger {
is recuperative powers are too great
or that; but great as they are, they may {
,e subjected to strain that would
eriously impair the influence of the s
xample we hold forth to mankind. On {
ducation depends the future, not only {
# the Republican party, but of the {
lation. Peanut politics may be success t
ul now and then, but the victory in the
ong run is won on principle. 1t is for
he Republican party to see that the t
light principle shall prevail. and it can 6
ot but prevail wherever, by church and
rec school and popular newspaper, edu-
alton is brought home to the multitude.