Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-20
POLITICAL EDUCATION.


In Utah about "politlcal education" 4
stranger would be- led to bolievc,by tn
tenor Of remarks made upon II, that tn
people OF this Territory knew nothin
about politics until quite recently
when gentlemen more or less informed
o1ndescended 60 expound the respcc
tive theories u the great parties of tn
country for the especial benefit OF The
massos.
The truth IL that politics IL by nj
means an uninvestigatcd subject IL
Utah. There has been some confusion
Of mind as 10 the relative values OF the
claims made by Democrats and Re
publicans. hut tho general principles
OF the science OF government have
been widely discussed among the PEG
pie, both men and women through
out the Territory have given then
serious consideration.
Much Of what Il now dignlHed Rs
"political education" has no right u
the term. IL would be more nppr0.
priately called party misrepresenia'
ton. Itconsists chiefly Of vilifying
one party and claiming undue credit
for the other. Advocates on either
side are addicted to this, and the effect
10 not edifying. Also there are per.
sons who attempt to make converts to
their side by generalitIes without
point, claiming they are Republicans
or Democra t., a. the case may be, DO.
cause their party possesses certain
qualifications and will accomplish
certain things, nil Of which might be
equally claimed by their opponents,
and all that Is needed In the argument
to make 1t equally valuable TO either
side Ia to change the name Of the party
20 cuiogizcd for that Of the other.
Occasionally speech Ia made or an
article is published which Ia argumen-
tative and educational. II contains
facts and figures and logical reasoning.
II Is then worth consideration and
comparison with the views Of an advo.
cate OF the opposite party. The less ex.
pletive and special pleading Il contains
the more valuable II IL. The stronger
and more fairly II presents the claims
Of the other side the more convincing
Il IL In its refutations. Such speeches
and articles are OF benefit TO enquirers,
and when converts aro made by them
the recruits are likely to remain per.
manent soldiers OF the party.
We notice that much OF the influence
brought to bear upon voters appeals to
their selflshness and promotes section
allsm. Taat is to say, they are asked
to adopt what Is alleged TO he OF local
benefit and personal advantage, rather
than that which will be likely to ad.
vance the welfare OF the whole country.
This may be political education. hut II
IL not In the direction Of statesman
ship and patriotism. In national
questions the good OF the nation should
be paramount. National politics
ought not TO be studied within the
narrow limits OF mere local interests.
We advise our friends who are
seriously investigating political prin-
cipled and party invitations, to avoid
accepting without question the state
ments Of either opponent as TO the
views aud purposcp Of the other. Let
each party speak for Itself. When n
Democrat says tho Repub leans want
monarchy, or Republican says the
Democrats want anarchy; when
either says the other aims at the ruin
OF the nation, or the destructio n OF
manufactures, or the establishment OF
monopolies; when one party claims all
the intelligence or patriotism, or virtue,
and declares the other TO be
destitute OF everything that is
admirable or praiseworthy; 1t may he
sensibly set down to party buncombe
and that mends city which some
people excuse In what they call polite.
but would condemn In any th ing else.
Allsuch stuff as that Is foreign TO
true political education, and ia not
worth spending time IN consider.
Very much OF the same value is the
claim that respected men Of years that
are past, and who have long since left
this world and its disputes, belonged Ia
such and such aparty, and their ad.
mirers should therefore belong 10 the
same party. The issues OF their time
are probably also In the grave. II Ia
the living present with which we have
to deal and the best interests OF Utah
aud the nation today which we should
consider. Both sides OF any mooted
question should DO examined, and
every citizen sho uld think for himself
and act for himself, exercising thu,
liberty which Is given Of God and
recognized by his country, and no use
his political influence that good gov.
eminent may be maintained and in.
dlvidual rights may be preserved.
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pOssIBIIIIILs or tmE LABOR