The Louisiana populist., 1895-12-20
Gays Men Have Long Been Deceived
With Lincoln, He Believes All the
People Can Not BE Deceived All the
Time.

tlcS! WEBSTER denneS the term, anu he
will be accepted as standard authority
l quote the unabridged" definitions in
full:
Il. Politics is the science of govern
ment; that part of ethics which has to
do with the regulation and government
Of nation or state, the preservation OF
its safety, peace and prosperity, the de-
Tense of its existence and rights against
foreign control or conquest, the aug
mentation of its strength and resources
and the protection of its citizens in
their rights with the preservation and
improvement of their morals.
"2. The management of a political
party, the conduct and contests OF par
ties with reference to political meas
ures in the administration of public af-
fairs, the advancement of candidates to
office.
'3. In bad sense artful or dishonest
management to secure the success OF
political candidates or parties.
"a. Political trickery."
In the foregoing We have Webster's
definition of politics" as practiced in
the United States. l am particular in
giving these definitions because l have
reasons for believing that the masses OF
the people were never before so pro-
foundly interested in politics as at pres
ent.
Hitherto men have voted with the
parties with which they were affiliated,
right or wrong. They were democrats
or they were republicans, without
reason why. They marched, they shout
ed and voted for the supremacy OF their
party, accepted professions as honest
which proved to be false, and platforms
which were made to be disregarded, to
find out at last that they had been the
victims of the vilest duplicities that
were ever concocted, of politics "in a
bad sense" of political trickery." They
were not to be blamed specially for
their allegiance to the two old parties,
for, in sooth, they must vote for one or
the other because there was no other
party with which they could affiliate.
1t was the sage remark Of Abraham
Lincoln that You can deceive all OF the
people some of the time and some OF the
people all the time, but you cannot de-
ceive all of the people all of the time"
No one doubts that Abraham Lincoln
had the ability to write political max
inns, and, subjected to analysis, his
proverbs are found to be absolutely
true. For instance:
81. You can deceive all Of the people
some of the time"
Inevitably. If there are but two par
ties and both of them are political "in
a bad sense" "artful and dishonest" ="
what matters it for which party man
casts his vote? He is the victim OF de-
ception in either case, and that is just
what has been the matter during the
past quarter of century. The people
have been deceived all the time. They
have been jumping from the frying pan
into the fire and then jumping from the
fire into the frying pan-deceived every
time and all the time.
"2. You may deceive some of the peo-
pie all the time"
In politics the statement is absolutely
incontrovertible. We see 1t illustrated
on every hand and at every election.
We see men welded to their party idols
and worshiping them with pagan IDOL
airy. They will not be undeceived.
They have eyes, but, like the potato,
they cannot see; they have ears, but,
like the cornstalk, they cannot hear; {;
or. IL they do see and hear they are so
debauched by the influence of politics
in a bad sense" by political trickery."
that no facts, no arguments, no logic,
and no calamities can influence them,
and they have to be let alone.
"3. You cannot deceive all the people
all the time"
In saving that Mr.. Lincoln rose to the
sublime heights Of a mental philoso-
pher. He stated truth of universal
acceptance, truth that is the last hope
of humanity. But to undeceive the peo-
ple, to get their consent to renounce
error and embrace the truth. requires
time. labor, sacrifice, indefatigable ef-
fort.
In politics, IL men see clearly that
the parties with which they have been
afiliated are forever wrong, and that
by deserting one and joining the other
affords no relief, that the principles and
policies of both are alike vicious, the
first sign that you cannot deceive all
the people all the time will be de-
mand for a new party. a party pledged
10 the reform Of abuses and the eman-