The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-12


 That Dale County man who declared in public speech that he had been "an 'unmitisated idiot til he joined the Pop ulsts should have gone on and announced whether he felt any improvement since joining them.
 MAKE POLITICS RESPECTABLE.
 A fond mother writes to The Portland oreronian on the subject of politics. and among other things says:
 q would Nike to have my son hold an honorable office and help to make iaMs and conduct the Government, but now is he to get a chance? l should not want him to TO into saloons and attend poiit- ical meetings in disreputable parts oI Sne city. There has been considerable ngnt- ing in our ward at the Democratic meet ings and 1t gives me the horrors evSts ,t such men. Is there no way to make poI- itics respectable so that gentlemen oL IF, finement like my son can taxe pa1s 'h public affairsT'
 While 1t is probable that this mother has an undue opinion of her sons quai- ifications, or of his powers as future ,erislator. 1t is very certain that she touches on a point which keeps many a good man from interesting himseh m nolitics. either as a candidate or voter. We do not admit that this should be A controlling factor, but quite the re- verse. When a good citizen, who IS also a good man, sees that politics ana poh- ticians are corrupt, should he not' Tn the interest of his country, of his Gov ernment and of the common humanity of mankind, take it on himself to at least make an effort to elevate politics? Shall such a man refuse to vote good men up, or bad men down. because he knows that when he goes to the polling place he is likely to both see and hear much that is offensive and objection able?
 We know that the very best citizens of a community often refuse to become candidates because they know or rear that they mrst either be defeated by venaIity, corruption and other Viiiainy or else they must descend to the same methods of campaigning. They must fight corruption with like methods or go down before the power of those who have neither personal nor political con- sciences.
 Not that this is always the case. or that 1t Is the rule. because we see good men elected to ofice. and we see 1t done without dishonest or reprehensible meth- ods on their part, but on the other hand we know that some are elected to im- portant ofiices by and through influences and means which no good man can en- dorse or condone. And it not infre- quently happens that men of this class are able to defeat the best citizens, and men who are in every way worthy and well qualified. That this does occur needs no argument to prove, and that it is to be regretted Is equally patent. It is pity, but true all the same.
 But admitting all this: admitting that bad men by corrupt methods defeat good men for positions which ought to be filled by the very highest class of men. that does not yet afford justification for the apathy so frequently shown by good citizens When the wicked beareth rule the people mourn," is true now, as it was true in the days or Solomon. The way to have good laws and to have them faithfully administered is to elect good lawmakers and good officials, and the way to get them is through the active assistance of good men. And so we get back to the query of The Oregonian's correspondent: "Is there no way to make politics respectable?"
 A politician, in the highest sense of the world. may be just as respectable as any man in any other professioR or occupa- ton. and our politics may be as respect able and clean as any other public bus mess, but it must be made so by those who are above the chicanery and venal- ity of the "scurry politician of whom Shakespeare wrote. We know that there are many good and clean men who are active and successful politicians, but any one who reads the papers must be aware of the low depths to which the politics of some States and cities have fallen. And to sum up the whole matter it Is safe to say that politics will be respect able or the reverse, just in proportion to the interest which good citizens take in public affairs.