The record-union., 1896-01-25

they are or what they are now becom-
ing
If we could turn now and read George
Eliot's apostrophe to ignorance we
would be persuaded that his malific
darkness had a hand in shaping both
private and public opinion. If we could
sit with Socrates and hear him ask
questions, we would be sure that
quickened intelligence is absolutely es-
sential to right ideas
What is a shoemaker? A man who
makes shoes. What is the good shoe
maker? The man who understands the
qualities OF leather and what shoe ought
to be, and how it ought to be made, and
busies himself at these things. What
then is a good citizen9 Shall we say, o,
Alcibiades, that he is a man who knows
neither what the State needs, nor how
man might serve the State. nor what
the good either for the man himself or
for the State might be? OF course, Al
cibiades replies that the good citizen
ought to know all these things. If a
shoemaker needs to know what and
now, what shall we say of a ruler in a
great free complex nation like our own.
In Government like that of England,
the duty of the elector goes not far be-
yond the selection of the best men to
compose that Government, the right
public opinion must be intelligent, but
in America we have set for ourselves a
lcftiertask. Wereserve for ourselves, for
the people, atall times autocratic power
We need a new motto to put along
side of that old saying, Eternal vigi-
lance is the price of liberty, Universal
intelligence is the price of safety" Our
public school SYSTEM with all possible
compulsory education bills, is not a
mere experiment in socialism, but a vi
tai element in our Governmental order.
It has been said that in old times kings
ruled and hired fools to amuse them
Now we hire most anyone-the boss,
the foreigner, the corruptionist-to gov
ern US, and amuse ourselves with our
own folly. Tt is popular ignorance that
renders the mass a prey to the corrup-
Zionist or boss.
Prejudice, superstition, bigotry, are
not confined to religionists and religious
themes. Ignorance is the soil in which
all these grow. Men deal with any new
problem with the implements their in
teIigence or their prejudices furnish.
Right opinions, public or private, must
be true opinions, based on realities; on
facts, on possibilities, and a constantly
growing intelligence alone can supply
them. Over against noisy affirmation
and megalo-cephalitis SO common in
our country, must stand quiet, self-re-
specting, manly intelligence in the
shaping of the sentiments that secure
AS every man is a citizen, and so a
ruler-a part of the State-it is not suf-
ficient that he should he intelligent as
lawyer, or physician, or merchant, or
mechanic, it is his business to know
how to govern. He must study his busi-
ness as a ruler with the same energy
and care that he studies the business
by which he wins a livelihood. If the
man who is unthrifty and neglectful in
providing for his own is worse than an
infidel, what name is sufficient for the
man who is willingly ignorant and neg
ligent in civic affairs? Two ideas lie at
the foundation of society. They are the
individuality of the man and the Or
ganic unity of society. That each one is
separate soul, with its own rights and
its own personal destiny to work out,
and that we are members one of another
and that together we suffer or are
blessed.
In old times the rights and supremacy
of society were emphasized in the insti-
tutions of men. Now the other idea Of
personal rights and privilege is domi-
nant. The conflicts of history are the
struggles between these ideas. Peace
and the highest civilization can come
only as both are recognized, as each is
brought into harmony with the other.
Indifferent progress has been made in
civic life in their adjustment. True pro-
gress will be gained when it is seen that
the wisest selfishness is unselfshness;
that I shall develop my own Individual
ity best in service of society; that shall
dwell in light, not when sit by my dark
lantern but when my candle, we'll
trimmed, shines as far as it can to en-
tighten many; that my private affairs
will be most prosperous when my civic
duties are faithfully performed and the
welfare of all considered
AS my words were to introduce dis
cussion merely, let me ask:
Is it true that we are governed by
public opinion?
w no u1dkeS pupilC OpiulOuf
What is the share OF the daily press
in making and molding it?
What is the share of the young men in
this task?
How can we make our opinion effect
i've in determining the public opinion of
Sacramento?
The questions asked in the paper were
taken up seriatum. The first one being,
Are We Governed by Public Opinion?"
c. H. Dunn thought that we were not.
We are governed by political parties;
by bosses; and by various other in
fiuences. People allow themselves to
be led away by enthusiasm or some
shibboleth and follow it without reflect
ing upon where it will lead them. They
is really erroneous and false, and
also they often accept a statement made
by paper, which seems plausible, but
are really erroneous and false, and
which they would readily find to be so
if they took the pains to look the matter
up. In our form of government we vote
for a few men who think in some re-
spects as we do, but may in many other
respects not represent their opinions at
all. Thus we have many laws passed
by our Legislature that do not repre-
sent the opinion of the majority of the
people, who, nevertheless, have to
abide by them. He thought that the
proposition for the referendum would
reform many of these things.
The question Who forms public
opinion?" was next taken up.
IA. Woodson said it was perhaps the
most difficult thing Mr.. Hoyt could have
asked. 1t was one which he had never
been able to solve. One of the most en-