The record-union., 1896-11-23
Weather Report.
A QUESTION OE COMPARATIVE Il
HONESTY.

George E Waring. Jr.. in the North
American Review" for November
makes a charge that will bring upon
him a storm Of criticism. In his paper
On Government by Party" Mr.. Waring
says,
There is an old theory that, when the
worst comes to the worst, what 1t Is the
fashion to call the sturdy yeomanry OF
the country Will save us by its native
honesty. This IL nonsense. I have
passed most Of my life far from the
great towns, where corruption b sup
posed chiefly to dwell, and much OF it
In agricultural occupations, and l do
not hesitate to say that there is more
ignorance of public affairs. and a keener
disposition to regard them as a source
Of profit, among farmers than among
those who live In citieS-and that is not
saying much for the latter class either.
i once demonstrated with a very intelli-
gent countryman, the owner OF q Mas
sachusetts farm on which he and his
ancestors were born, who had become a
local contractor in the suburban neigh
borhood. told him he could not afford
to go to the Legislature. to which he
had recently been elected, because
without his management his two hum
dred laborerS would lose him many
times his salary as a member of the
House. His reply was suggestive:
Why, Mr.. Warm, you don't under
stand it; they dew say that feller's
vote is wuth a lot of money sometimes
mr. fharo 70 pncfnntp JJa oh atxyI
man. but he had not the least concep-
ton Of anything but 'smartness'' in his
deliberate purpose to sell himself for
what he would fetch, and to fetch all
he was worth. If our regeneration is
to depend on the farmers vote, we shall
die unregenerate.
Here Is a statement that Is certain to
quicken into expression protests which
will make Mr.. Warnings ears ttngle It
remains to be seen how far he will be
successful In justifying himself.
We are inclined to disagree with Mr..
science among townsmea-of equal re-
spectability with farT1ers-in political
matters, but that there Is practically
very little difference between the men
of rural and municipal populations
when it comes to moral stamina.
Our observation has been that neither
virtue nor vice differ much In volume
in the two sections when we exclude the
notor1ously criminal and Barbary Coast
classes The ruralists by their votes do
not, We think, manifest such sensitive
Eess to reform details as do the citizens
Of large towns. On the other hand the
rural population when once convinced
In a given direction of reform or retro
gression adheres to 1t with more per-
sistence and longer than Is done by ths
more restless people OF cities.
Rural life Is to-day brought into such
close contact with the world; 1t gets
news so speedily; it Is SO in touch with
worldly activities that its moral con-
ditions are about the same as those re-
lated to the average citizen Of a town
who moves outside Of the sluns. There
is certainly less vote selling in rural
parts. but 1t Is true the opportunities are
fewer, on the other hand prejudices are
deeper seated and resentment more BIT
ter among agT1culturists
1t Is probably true that there Is
larger measure Of intelligence upon po-
litical questions among city people, be-
cause the opportunities to gain inform
alton and the leisure to study it are
greater In the city than IN the country.
But If the test was made to ascertain
the degrees Of ignorance upon govern
mental matters among rurahsts and
townsmen, we believe that the smaller
percentage VIII be found outside of city
limits. because within them there is
more Of uIiteracy, more aliens and more
of the low level irnportations, and inf
nttely more OF those whom crime, VI
cious environment and degrading and
objectionable poverty have laid hold
upon