Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-27

virtuous man toward the maintenance
Of its intepritv.
Will weakness. ignorance and vice
have the right through the ballot to de-
termine the destiny Of multitudes. our
free government can never be beyond
peril Some one has said that the
Snhinx riddle Of American politics is
how can the mischiefs Of universal
suffrage be remedie1 when the only
remedial instrument is universal suffrage
itself.
While we make allowance for these
gloomy forebodings of our foreign
critics, it must be confessed there is
ground for anxiety The conditions OF
our social life are not such as ought to
exist. There must needs be reformation
along many lines, if we would avert an
awful catastrophe. We shall perhaps
never know just how severe strain
was put upon our free institutions by
the intensity of feeling engendered in
the recent presidential campaign. The
dangers to which our national life is
subject have been brought home to all
thoughtful and patriotic people during
these past few months with an unusual
emphasis. The large population in our
midst Of those who are in no sense in
touch with the genius Of our institutions
can be no other than a menance to our
quiet and stability. Ignorance in its
widest sense is the primary danger OF
the American ballot, since out of iguor-
ance is bred corruption, by reason OF
the fact that the ignorant voter is ever
the lawful prey Of those vampires,
parasites, demagogues who are ever
ready to trade on the passions OF men
bv appeals TO their cupidity, regardless
Of the consequent harm to the state.
Education and Christianity are the
agencies to which we must look for
changing the multitude Of foreigners
who are citizens in years, but not in
sentiments. into loyal Americans.
school of patriotism for our young people
would 90 far to make the future safe.
The children of foreign parents, whose
homes surround them with foreign at
mosphere, have need TO be taught our
language and be nourished upon the
memories. not Of old world heroes. but
of Lincoln and Grant and Washington.
But whatever dangers NAV inhere in
the ignorance and lack of patriotism
of the foreign voters, there is one perl
which overshadows and dwarfs even
that. and that is Indifference and neg
lect No evil against which orr free in
stitutions contend is more shamefullv
wicked The tendency of our well-to-
do class is to sit at home and. as Geo.
VIM Curtis said, TO cultivate the feeling
that politics is tiresome and dirty, and
can stomach it. Such Indifference does
but repeat the example Of the well-to-do
Levite, who saw the poor man lying
wounded and half dead by the roadside,
vet passed by on the other side. Such
indifference is infamous! Such neglect
is outrao eously wicked and guilty, being
akin TO treason. The man who de'iber-
ately refuses his political duties is scarce
ly less dangerous than the man who
stuffs the ballot box.
The need Of the hour is for business
men to give their political duties the
same careful attention, the same patience
and perseverance and courage that they
use is promoting their commercial ends.
When that hour comes there will be not
simply an uprising of the people for the
overthrow Of gigantic wrongs, but per-
manent reformation will be accomplished
that will hand down our free institute
tons from generation to generation"