The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-31
"TaR EDUCATION OF PUBLIC
OPINION"

OPINION"
A commencement address as timely
as it was strong and courageous, was
that delivered before the University or
Michigan last June by Prot. Nicholas
Murray Butler, OF Columbia UniVer-
sity. Mr.. Buffers subject was 1.-The
Education of Public Opinion" in the
course of which he said:
"The political vitality and integrity
of a modern state must rest, IN d
last instance, upon the character and
cleanliness of the political opinions
held by men who are without official
station. No administrative vigor and
no legislative wisdom can long survive
in the vacuum Of public Ignorance and
indifference. A supporting body OF
opinion is essential to the conduct OF
legislative or administrative policy,
and a serious and high principled op
position is necessary to prevent its ex
a~ggeration and abuse. Taken together
and increased by the religious and
moral sentiments If the people, these
political beliefs and tendencies consti-
tute what is know n as public opinion.
It is a subtle, powerful and sometimes
terrible force"
But Prof. Butler did not fail to bring
bis teachings to bear upon every day
questions and problems. He pointed
out that in political system every
thing depends upon the individual clIl
zen and took pains to emphasize the
fact to which The Progressive Farmer
has 80 often alluded-that if you as an
individual citiz IN are not thinking for
yourself, studying polite ii problems
for yourself, and taking a proper part
in the political life Of the country, then
you have no right to complain of the
unjust Legislation made possible by
your indifference or carelessness We
shall never advise any class to keep
out Of politics. We have never taught,
nor do we aver intend to teach, that
our people are devoting too much time
to political questions or to the study OF
the merits of different political parties.
There is too much Of one SORT Of politi-
cal study-the prejudiced kind, the
kind adopted by the man who studies
politics not for the purpose of fading
all the truth, but for the purpose of
finding those truths hurtful to the
other party and shutting his eyes to
all that would damage his own party.
But of unprejudiced seeking after
political truth there is q woful dearth
and we shall ever advocate greater &C
tivity along thes9 lines. But to return
to Prof. Buffers speech. Taking up
the question OF how to destroy bossism
and purify our politics, he said:
THAT the boss must be displaced for
the leader at all hsz ards gees without
say Jog To accomplish this the first
step is relentless boss punishment at
the polls. The second step is to take
away his capital by establishing a re
formed and democratic civil service
and by putting a stop to his ability to
dispose OF public privileges for personal
or for party gain The third step is to
regulate bus ness principles to business
and to condne politics to ends properly
political. all this again comes back to
the individual cilz=n. There is no
trench in which he may hide, no bomb.
proof to which the which the weapons
of responsibility will not follow him.
Are you politically alert9 Are you pc
litically honesl2 Itnot you are a bad
citizen and a corrupter, however limo
cent, Of public opinion. II so, the
standard which you set is a high one,
worthy of imitation by your neighbor.
You are doing something to educate
public opinion"
That is good doctrine. And if all our
educators were as independent and
bold as Prof. Butler. our political skies
would be brighter and our people hap
pier.
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