The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-03-09
TIE BETTER ELEMENT"
Some Sarcastic Observations on the "1nde.
pendent" Method of Reforming Politics

Puck
While we do not in the slightest degree
approve of the effort which Mr.. ID. b. Hill
is at present making to substitute his Pc
culiar brand of Democracy for the Democ-
racy of the rest of his party. we cannot help
thinking that 1t may be productive of good
In moro than one direction. 1t GER
taInly affords q beautiful and inspiring OPP
portunity for the "better element" of the
population to learn a little something of
practical politics" and for the practical
politicians to learn little something of
the better elements of republican gov
eminent. And If either class fondly fancies
that the other needs lesson, and itself
needs none-why, 1t is simply case
of the pot calling the kettle black.
The better elemeDt-if re may be allowed
to designate q typical individual by the
name of his class-is quite as pig-hesded in
his own way as the practical politician
is in his He labors under delusion that
politics ore to be purified by reading q
newspaper that scolds. in season and out of
season. about machine politics" boss
ism." "heelers." and "henehmen." and by
getting very mad about it. and saying
why this government can't be run by
respectable men. Occasionally. too. the
better element votes. Sometimes he gets
too mad to stand 1t any longer, and
then he calls the rest of the better
Elements together. and they have mass
meeting. with speeches by some nice gen.
tlemen in swallOw-tail coats. who can all OF
them tie their own white lawn cravats; and
q reverend gentleman, who doesn't know
what election district he lives In, gets up
~. nil Gny IN
dale, ana then the Better Elements applaud
furiuusly, and appoint committees until
you can't rest, and go home perfectly satis-
he'd that they have done their full duty as
citizens and that politics are going right
smack to publication.
Then the Better Element comes to you
and asks you if you heard him. 4Ou say
you did. and ask him what he was doing 1t
for. Then he asks you what else he can do.
Then you tell him that tho evils he CON-
plains about exist. if they exist at all. be-
cause he wasn't at his primary. The Bet
ter Element kindly and cOndescendingly
admits the truth of this. II know" he
says, with wave of his hand. that ought
to 20 to the primarles"-the Better Element
always says primaries" as If he could
go to half dozen OF them at once You
tell him that he 0ught to have gone. he
looks at you in q pained and surprised
way. as though he thought 1t bad taste on
your part to Insist upon such useless and
annoying topic. but l didn't co." be says.
land there is an end of It." And you can
not make him understand that there Is not
an end of il; that 1t IS only beginning
from which other things must of necessity
proceed, and that he can't build his Chin
ney from the top down.
But, this time, the Better Element has
chance to start fair with primaries OF his
own calling. and he ought to learn. If there
practical politics. He may learn. for in
stance. that the work of government be-
gins even before the primary, In the getting
together of men with common purpose.
who organize to control. direct and inform
all consequent organization: he
mary with compact minority, that
will not only elect the officers of
the meeting. but will control the proceed
ings of the meeting. and this for the meet
ing's own good, for else the meeting would
be only mob. He may learn, If the
Worser Element undertakes to steal his
primary, how TO keep HIM out rule him out
or chuck him out. 1t will surprise him very
much, no doubt. but slill it may be possible
for him to learn that compact minority
not only can do all these things. but, of
necessity and propriety. must and should
do them.
This is what is called machine or prac-
teal. politics. 1t Is the only possible means
of keeping Republican form of govern
ment from lapsing into anarchy or falling
under the control OF despotlsm. Ii the ma.
chine Jus created Is used Tor the good and
benefit of the whole people, it is good
machine. If it is used to further the selfish
and unpatriotic ends of one man or one set
OF men, il is O bad machine. and 1t is the
duty of good citizens TO destroy it. But if
they want to undo it's work, and to do good
work themselves. they must set up another
machine in its stead. and see that that
machine IS run for the benefit of
the whole people. Ali this, the
Better Element has an excellent chance TO
learn right now, if he goes earnestly about
the work of redeeming his State from the
bogus Democracy of MIR. ID u. Hill. II he
learns this, and how the hard, weariscme,
perplsxlng work of practical politics must
be continued and spread out from this be-
ginning TO the remotest of national AFFAIRS
If he learns that every mans vote counts;
that every other man has a right to his
opinions. and even to his prejudices; that
the will of the majority may be directed.
but must not be denied, and that all this
takes time, and trouble, and Temporarily,
he will have learned q great lesson In
American citizenship, and he will he o
more useful man than he ever was before.
And, if he succeeds in his work. he will
have taught to the practical politician a
valuable lesson in reminding HIM OF the
two great aphorisms which no public man
can afford to forget for o moment
/. You can fool some of the people all of
the time, and all of the people some of the
time. but you can't fool all of the people
all of the time.