The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-08
POLITICS.
nominees.

The most critical time in the career of
man is that period when the character is
forming; the time when experience has
not matured the judgment, but when the
mind is plastic and readily receives i'm
pressions. Il is the most critical because
those impressions will form the character.
and make up the material upon which the
Judgment OF the Individual will be based.
II wrong Impressions are made, then the
judgment based upon such impressions will
be erroneous If the youth be taught to
look only upon one side of human char
acter-the evil side-he is incompetent to
Judge humanity; and if the vices of man
the deceits, Duplicates, insincerities, dis
honor, fraud and general corruption of
which man is capable-be altogether con-
cealed from the youth. he will then be
equally incompetent TO form a correct
judgment of his fellows, or TO properly
shape his conduct in relation to them.
AS the,most critical time in the career of
man is the formation period, so is it also
the most critical time in the career of a
state. Through such period is our Utah
passing to-day. And as it is important that
correct impressions be made upon the de-
veloping mind OF man, so is it important
that correct impressions be made upon the
public mind of the gradually forming state.
1t is important not only that correct politi-
cal doctrines be taught, but that correct
ideas in respect to politics-which in its
best sense refers to the science of civil gov
ernment-be impressed upon the public
mind. 1t is the custom in our community.
we are sorry to say, to refer to politics
as very poor kind of "tics;" and when
this refers to politics in its worst sense. it
may be true but it is a statement made
too broadly and needs modification When
we regard politics in its worse sense-in
relation 10 the frauds perpetrated in its
affairs, chicanery of ward ''heelers," wire
pullers and the dirt and filth of political
strlfe-in these respects politics may be a
poor kind of tics" But politics viewed as
the science Of government, as an assemb-
lage Of means and the application of prin-
pies to secure human freedom and the es-
adjustment of justice between man and
man, 1t is not poor kind of tics, p" but
The noblest science and the one burdened
with the most good to humanity known to
mankind. We know of nothing so impor-
tant, or that bears so directly upon human
happiness and human progress, as the pro-
per administration of government, and it
Is that with which politics has to do-the
administration of government. Ouryoung
men, in fact all men, should be taught that;
and they should not be taught that politics
is something too far beneath their notice.
AS compared with religion, politics NAV
not be so important. The administration
Of human government may be transitory,
while religion and its affairs may be eternal
in their nature; and as the heavens are
higher than the earth, SO may religion be
above politics; yet politics bears such re-
lation to human happiness, to human peace
and the maintenance of right that it can
not be ignored, however transitory relig-
ionists may regard it. Politics, in its best
sense, and it is in its best sense that all
men may deal with it, is a sphere where
noblest intelIigences have operated Cor the
good OF their fellow men. 1t is business
where the most splendid men the world has
ever seen have found scope for the exercise
of the great talents GoD has given them. A
subject that SO nearly concerns human hap
piness, progress ard general welfare, and
which has engrossed the attention Of the
noblest and best of our species, should not
be treated lightly, or referred TO as poor
Kind OF tics" but, on the contrary, should
be held Up to our people as one of the most
serious affairs with which they have to do,
one which most nearly concerns their in
terests, and an occupation, so far as it may
be looked upon as such, the most honor
able