The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-16
SEVERE But TRUE.

Governor oder. of New York, in an adj
dress a few days ago to a C~hautauaua as
semblage. made the following pertinent OBJ
servation:
When we find parents teaching their chill
dren that politics Is degrading, that IL Is
dlSreputable TO participate In the opera
lions Of government and that to be known
as a politician is TO lower ones self III the
estimation of ones friends. then the seed
OF careless disregard for our institutions Is
sown and the harvest will be disaster 10
our republic. Ignorance provokes discon-
tent. and If [ may be permitted TO use the
term. educated Ignorance" proVokes an
archy and confusion.
Governor Odell has had experience in the
line of his observations. He had been
actively connected with the Republican or
CARNATIONS in New York for years. and,
because he had been chairman of the State
committee four years when nominated for
Governor. was denounced as a machine
man." 1t made no difference that he did
not desire the nomination; he had been
] active in party management and would be
run by the machine If elected. He was
admitted to be personally a clean and able
man, but. because he had been active In
party affairs. a class of ultra reformers de-
nounced him and refused to vote for him,
so that he ran quite a number of votes be-
hind President Mckinley. 1t is now a we'll
known fact that New York has not had so
energetic and useful a Governor in years,
or one who has uprooted so many evils in
state administration.
The paragraph quoted embraces much
truth. 1t is the practice of many good men
to hold up those who take an active part
in political affairs as men TO be avoided,
if not really ~disreputable. This is ~particu-
larly the case in municipal politics. No mat
ter how honorable the young man or how
free from any selfish design. the moment
he takes an interest in municipal politics
he runs the risk of being branded as a
ward politician. Men will say of him that
he is a promising young man. but. having
taken a hand in local politics. they will
shake their heads as If by so doing he had
put himself I'm the list OF the suspected.
Because of this sentiment. more than any
thing else. cities have inefficient govern
ments. That the condition is not worse is
due TO the fact that a goodly number of
men run the risk of being called disrepu-
table politicians and take a hand in shap-
ing affairs.
Perhaps we are recovering somewhat
from the cynicism with which the machine
in politics has been discredited, and in
t~elligent men are more and more seeing
the Importance of taking an active part in
local politics. The attitude of the indie
pendent is very gratifying to those who
assume ii, but a hundred or a thousand in
dependents never made a nomination, so
that ultimately they must either vote for a
machine nomination or not vote at all.
The law-protected primary is a long step
toward better government if those who
should be the best citizens really win
the title by taking part in the primary of
one or other of the two parties by helping
to put the names of good men on the pri-
mary ballot. Those are not good citizens
who constantly criticise and denounce men
who are active in politics. The effect of
such denunciation is hat young men who
look upon active politicians as models are
taught to distrust our institutions, one of
which is the primary election regulated by
law.