The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-23
THE JOURNAL AND REPUBLICAN
DEFEAT.

|
No more profitless course for the de-
feated party TO pursue can be conceived
than to make an indefinite assertion
that apathy was the cause of its over
throw. That is merely to repeat a
truism which not only every member
of the party itself is fully aware of,
yesterday, even the winning side will
readily acknowledge.
What we want to know is the reason
for apathy, and why public opinion
chooses 10 assert itself at such critical
moments in such negative way.
Public opinion is based upon the
teaching which the people have at the
hands of the public press, and it be-
comes our imperative duty to again call
the attention of the Republican cleo
torate to the baneful though possibly
well meant influence of our morning
contemporary in all campaigns of recent
times. There was time, which all can
easily rememben when the Journals
editorial comment urged without ceas-
ing the importance of each mans po-
litical duties. 1t never failed to incul-
cate the truth that good government
depends wholly upon the value which
the citizens attach to their vote. Intel
ligence in every community will largely
outweigh ignorance, and it will inevita-
bly, win in every election when it
chooses to assert itself.
For ten years the people of Rhode
Island have been almost exclusively
taught by the Journal that fault find
ing is the acme of independence, and
that independence consists in neglect
ing public duties whenever every act
of the public officials does not happen to
agree with ones personal prejudices.
For years the people have read that a
man could best serve his own interests
by staying away from the polls, and
that politics are not pure enough for
the reputable citizen.
The one patent result of such shame
full teaching is not that the people slowly
become thoughtless, but that they learn
to wilfully and persistently neglect the
highest rights which the individual has
in free government.
II cannot be claimed for moment
that the election of yesterday was not
fully understood by every voter in the
city. There cannot be cited single in.
stance of man who did not know what
his duty was, yet nearly 10000 of our
voters preferred to stand aside and permit
the election of "A manwhose only recon-
mendation is his unobtrusive negligence.
we say preferred, because the man who
knowingly refuses TO use his influence
aud vote on the side of progress and no.
gressive government 10y staying away
from the polls is practically as guilty of
n criminal act as the debauched VOTER
who sells his vote. There is very little
difference in the moral status of two
men. the one of whom refuses 10 exer-
else his intelligence in voting and the
other whose intelligence does not teach
him that to receive pay for his vote is a
crime.
This is the condition of criminal neg
ligence to which years of the Journals
teaching has brought our electorate.
Its long standing effect can not be over
come in few days preceding AN elec.
ton The Journal, by its spasmodic
support of any one. cannot in two davs
undo what it has persistently tried 10 do |
for ten years. After man has learned
the lofty negligence for generation he |
does not learn to become active in
twenty-four hours. On the contrary he
-fUUfs with srrsricion on a teacher that
50 plainly violates all its principles of
consistency and temporarily conde.
scends to mingle in politics. To use the
homely truism, you can't teach an old
dog new tricks"
Baneful as this result is 20 the morals
and intelligence Of the country there Is