Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-06-14

as citizens. The universities viii make
the specialists after the college is
through with the preliminary train
ing; but the demand now is not so
much for specialists; 1t is for good
common citizens. Think of the ques-
tfons economical, social industrial,
fundamental. which are demanding
early solution in our country. These
questions are not TO be settled by the
dictates OF party leaders or of admin
tsbratlons They are not DO be settled
by the specialists. They will be set
tied by une mass of the people, where
all great questions in this country have
gone for final settlement They are to
he settled rightly by high intelligence
combined with the political courage
and independence of the average citi-
zen. 1t Is not 50, as is sometimes as
serted by the pessimist, that our peo-
Pile are so blind as to the true c0ndi-
tion of affairs or that affairs are SO
largely dominated by evil Influences
that the government will NO longer be
administered in the peoples interests.
The people have, as they nave always
had. The power TO correct all evils, to
force good administration They need
only Ito use it. There is danger, there
always has been, there always will be
danger in a government like ours
that popular rule may fail and the peo-
pies Interests made secondary, while
greed and ambition are enGhroned.
The great danger is always in the
blindness. the carelessness, the lack OF
proper understanding or the weakness
of the individual voters. There Is al
ways danger to the country from the
cupidity of men in power or temporar
lily in places of trust. But cupidfty is
not controlling fault in the average
citizen. His great fault is in Uhe lack
of courage and independence.
The American college today owes
the highest duty to its country. The
college man is nearer the mass of the
people today than ever before. He does
not belong to class Of his own He Is
now part of the daily life of the peo-
pie; he is present in trade and indus
-trial and agricultural, as well as in
educational law and church circles He
should be a natural leader in every
way. So long as this is so the college
canot escape its responsibility in shap-
ing the affairs of this country, its
share in the solution of all trouble
some questions. It's duty in preparing
its students for the best work OF the
best class of American citizens is to-
day to teach those things which per-
tain to citizenship and they are not on
ly the things of political science; but
as important, those noblest qualities,
political courage and political indie
pendence.
l wish l were able to refer in a prop
er manner to that element in our char
acter which we call courage. 1t is an
element not found only in the best
type of man. 1t is also common to the
brute and the savage; but as a rule it
reaches its finest development only in
the most advanced of civilized nations.
1t is something which elevates, which
nerves, which conquers, which adorns,
wh.lH inspires, which produces the
finest and best class of manhood In
no people is the element of courage
whether physical or moral courage
more developed than in those of our
own land. There is often a lack of it
in political life, and no where is 1t
more needed. Let us preach courage in
political life and chat best product of
courage, political independence. In
the proper display of political courage
today lies the most usefulness and the
most success for citizen and for poll.
tlcian.
The great thing in the frank meeting
OF questions of state or politics as theg
come up is independence of thought oi
action. The chief danger to this coun,
try today, if there be a danger, is par.
tisanship. That is what kills the in
dependent spirit. Political partie,
with we'll defined policies are neces
sary to the proper carrying on of oht
government, and there are needel
earnest, aggressive partioans. Blu
,here Jhould be no place for blind, sub
servient partisans They nfe the cul9'
o. parry and country. 1t is because o
yhom uhat the political boss. the poll
tIoIi driver, exi3ts PII isdent McKin
ley 4 few years ago began an uddres
Wleh these words "Pantie5 do no
make Issues; ISSUES make paroles.
Men forget this. They forget tina
Membership in party shonld be be
cauze, upon the pIedominent issue be
f,rfe the people, Uhe party of thei
oLoice most fully represents their in
div.lal. opinions. dIstingu.. hcd po
l.ical leader saGd in a newsLler inj =
view a few weeks ago, and wi.hJu
any 5nse Of It's Stiffness, that at IA
H. ling of uhe national comm.l,~
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