The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1901-10-11

abridged except where it conflicts
with the rights and welfare of the
public.
Our politicians and political pa
pers must be more guarded in the
language used. Our children must
be taught patriotism and loyalty to
our country. They must be taught
that position and preferment of men
for merit are honorable and lauda-
tory; that our great leaders are hon
orable and upright men, as rule,
and not rogues and thieves; that it
is merit, honor and ability that
bring men public favors, and not
thievery and corruption; that a
rogue may by chicanery and fraud
occasionally force himself into a
public trust, but such is not the
rule, and that he has only reached
the place through concealment of
his true character. Public senti-
ment must be aroused to this grow
ing evil and its woeful effects point
ed out Appeals from the rostlum
to the prejudices and passions of
the ignorant and vicious for politi-
cal purposes and party success,
should be forever stopped. The
province of the political orator
should be to instruct and lead by an
appeal to the intellectual faculties
and sense of right.
1t was the appeals to the baser
natures of men and to the criminal
classes of the large cities of Illinois,
and the blindness of the people to
his true character, that made it pos
sible for the notorious Altgeld to be
elected governor of that great state.
He signalized his administration by
pardoning from the state penitenti-
ary his friends the anarchists, Of
Haymarket fame, thereby giving an
impetus to their reasonable plots
and fastening forever a stain upon
the fair name of Illinois.
We do not believe, with ingalls,,
that all is bad in politics. We be-
lieve that thousands of our brightest
and best men find in the field of
politics Legitimate scope for the ex-
ercise of their genius and ability.
We would not drive good men out
of the field and turn the whole po-
litical machine over to rogues and
Williams. We would rather push good
men into the field and crowd the
baser out. Merit and character
should be sesame to political pre-
ferment, and not the ability to work
a political machine or lead the Grim
inal classes. Arouse public senti
ment to a discrimination of the right
and wrong till the people will refuse
to listen to the demagogue or ire
sponsible agitator. Politics has
character. 1t takes its character
from the qualities of the men prom
inent as leaders. Anarchy and kin
dred evils cannot be eradicated if
public sentiment encourages anar
chistic expressions and teachings,
and favors those men who encourage
them by word or deed.
Purity of character and honesty
Of purpose should be the first requi
sites of the public man, and the
iemagogue who assails official char
acter for political effect should be
muzzled as rabid dog.
How does this strike you: Chester
I. Long for Senator and F. D. Co.
burn for Governor? Would not that
arrangement be winner? Why don't
some of the fixers, who are so busy
arranging tickets, think of some such
deal as that?
The big gas gushers at Beaumont
are failing to gush and the owners
are now putting in pumps to raise
the oil. Possibly this great field
may be short lived after all.
" " "
"Bud" Taylor, the slayer of Miss
Nollard in Kansas City, has been
convicted of murder in the first de-
gree.
" " v
Carrie Nation has again got her
self locked up. This time in Wheel
ng, West Virginia.
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