The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-11-23
INTELLIGENT VOTERS
Ignorance of Current Political Affairs
Among Young r1en.

ANOAlS lOuuS iSh'
Politics is the attending to the public
business, and as every voter is share
holder in the government, and as every
person, rich or poor, male or female, old
or young, is a silent partner, and heir
pay the expense, it is of the highest I'M
portance to the people, that honest, COM
petent persons be chosen to fill responsi-
bic official positions; therefore it is the
duty of every citizen to be a politician
but not partisan. A wise man has trl-
ly said: "When we ind the most upright
citizens taking no interest in politics
showing NO zeal FOR the good OF the coun-
irv we may expect political stagnation
and corruption But when the best citi-
zens manifest interest in public affairs
we have good, great and honest admins
tration of public trusts.
It is the duty of every man to take IN
active personal interest in the welfare OF
his country, and see that the best clti-
zens are elected TO public places. lnde-
pendent political action prevents schem"
ing, more pullers, caucus packers and
convention managers from accomplish
ing their designs on the public. e. M
Dallas saws, "a people ignorant OF their
poIitlcal and social rights will never Sc
iect a safe leader Of social and political
reform. They will be heguiled into plac-
ing into power blatant demagogues and
crafty place seekers, who will promise
everything and perform nothing; VINO
will use the temporary supremacy ano
nosition granted them for their own ag-
grandizement.'
Cardinal Gibbons says: 'Polltlcs OF
the science OF civil government mas re-
lation to the social life OF men ano snouio
claim no exemption from morality
scarching gaze and inexorable dictates
Political trcksters are an abomlnatloh,
And it is because Of political meanness
nolitical dishonesty, that good loyal, true
and honorable men complain so loudly OF
noliticai corruption That a. large ele-
ment of our people are lamentaDly lgnor-
ant concerning the political duties, goes
without saying.
THE Catholic Citizen referring to this
subject uses this forcible language:
we are growing a peasant class III pom
t4cs. q. class that permits itself to pc
,uled without question or criticism; not
because it is too indolent, too materlallst-
ic and too unintelligent tochedlsh any de-
cent public spirit or any live concern IN
affairs beyond it's petty personal inter-
ests.
A very large majority, at least of our
Young men. are positively ignorant OF
current politics, devoid OF even the vag-
nest. conceptions Of what is uppermost
i1,sthe public mind, and willfully and stu
nidly so in the bargain. They read any
thing and everything in the newspapers
except that which good citizens ought to
read. The criminal alcolumns in the daily,
the yapid novelette, in the weekly (good
enough for women who do not have to
yote). the weak strokes Of humor. pad
ding for unborn almanaes) the lates news
about some casualty or explosion, -
these are the subjects that awaken their
interest and strike attention through
their ti,ick-ply craniums.
Reader. does this criticism apply to
yola If SO remember that an Ignorant
voter cannot cast an Intelligent vote.
no matetr how. honest and how con-
scientions he might be. Take Cardinal
Gibbons advice and study politics.
HECTOR MCLEAN. 4