The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-01
Political Reform Discussed by
Linton Satterthwaite.
GOOD INTENTloNs AVAIL LITTLE
Party Bossism Must Co We Have
the Forms Which Used Will
Bring the Substance.

linton Satterthwait in the American
"a Magazine Of Civics for August, Con
ss9idensed for Pubic Opinion.
1as hopeful student of practical politics
Y me United States may justly feel en-.
evQrased at the multiplying signs OF
lla2lix interest. The signs of the times
a0lbOde future trouble for the party
fmanipulator but unhappiy they do not
plesage immediate danger to his power
The gap is wide which separates denun-
citation of Ibossism from substitution OF
honest leadership through displacement
Of the selfish and corrupting rule Of the
party boss.
We already have the forms of popular
government and we have but to use them
in order to possess the substance. Our
troubles are due to the obstinate refusal
or the wi.ful neglect of the masses to
avail themselves of the powers placed
unasked for In their hands. In theory
we select our rulers at the polls, but in
practice this is impossible. In modified
sense, we elect but we do not select, ana
true election involves selection. We
choose between men, one Of whom we
mi st have, but rarely do we select
man we would prefer were 1t possible
to choose him. In word, the great
majority of American citizens take no
part In the initiative of government. Yet
the initiative is the key to self-govern-
ment
Our elections arc little more than pie
bisctes by means Of which the decisions
Of a partisan oligarchy are given the
form of popular will. Ours has become ]
government by an offlce-holding ana |
ofIlce-seeking class. Government by the I
people and for the people is the dream 1
which delights the fancy OF the school |
boy but government by the spoilsmen |
and for the spoismen Is the reality |
which absorbs the energies and devours |
the substance of the man. We must |
educate into thRvlAmerican citizen that !
degree of intelligence and self-respect |
which viii make the sway of the party I
boss too odlous patiently to be borne.
The work of political reform Is therefore |
subjective rather than objective. 1t is |
educational, but not in the sense OF over
coming illlteracy. The political problem /
is, therefore, largely a question of moral
optics. 1t involves an adjustment OF /
moral vision until things political shall
be viewed as they are. Men are afflicted /
with sort of mental and moral as
tigmatlsm, which leads them to distin-
guish lines of duty and moral obligation
when they run In the direction of private
affairs and to be utterly blind to those |
same lines when they point toward public
action.
The work to be done Is from the top
downward. II Is not to teach the i5nor-
ant citizen to read and write, but to
teach the cultivated citizen to use his
learning to some public purpose. 1t Is not |
to invent means OF clrcumventing The |
machine, but to learn how to use the
machine In the interest of good govern
ment 1t Is to seek purer politics not
by vain attempts to reform the character
Of politicians but by drafting into politl-
cal activity men whose characters ntel
no amendment The work of honest gov
ernment is not an intricate problem for |
the man Of genius to grapple with, but
Is question within the grasp of n
plain mans common sense" Reform in
politics ls then, to be educational in the |
highest sense. Every school and col
ege,s every church in the land has LAID
ipon It the duty, first of all, of teach 4
ng men to value their citizenship We 1
ire too prone to blame our illlterate I
brother for our political Ills, and to
,olnt to the appallingly rapid influx of
,rutallzed products of European despot-
SIMS as the one great danger to our in
titutions. There is real danger from 1
his source, hut the most imminent peril I
omes not from the ignorant Immigrant, |
nut from the educated native. lndolence,
to Professor Bryce. Is a no
ess pernlcious foe to democracies than
Indifference to public affairs"
Ie says, "shows Itself not mercy In a
neglect to study them and to lit ones self |
o give judiclous vote, nat in the apathy
ghich does not care to give vote when
he time arrives. They who have their
rvate ends to serve, their axes to grind, /
md logs to roa are not indolent." Nu-
nerous instances in our country testify I
o the correctness of Professor Bryce's I
'iews
Good intentions count for little In poll
les. While good citizens are content to 4
eplore evil the authors of the evil will
evel in the spolls. A people who would 4
Q wen governed must govern themselves, \
nd self-government everywhere calls for
public service. The edu- [
ated and refined may prefer the quiet {
de OF study to stormy contests for con-
rol OF public affairs, but they cannot
hrink from the conflict without infldelity
D the state. It is not apparent that in
omplete mental development rather than 8
nperfeet moral sense is the root of cor '
npt American politics, We need, there d
,re, thoroughly to arouse the various
EDUCATIONAL forces OF the nation TO the
ecesslty OF intoxicating rational views of
olitics and government Wherever men
iibly talk of patriotism and profess to En
eek the public good, there should be Il
ome one like Socrates, who will extort | 4
rom them explanations OF what they
lean by virtue, justice or patriotism, a
nd by probing their answers expose their | y
Inorance and hypocrisy to the world, :
Fhen this saarl come to be the habit
Intelligent Americans, o,ir political re-
emptlon will be near at hand g
N