The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-01

the true education of life through the
school in the department of instruction
concerning the province of government.
Our educated young men are lamenta-
bly, ignorant of the commonest facts
concerning political life. There is not
a ward heller in New York or Chicago,
or a single politician but who does not
know more about the city government
than most college graduates, and the
power of these INSCRIPTIONS men lies
in the fact of their knowledge of NUM-
cipal affairs. Along that one line they
know how, and it goes without saying
that any thought of a true education
always contains the idea that no man
who is educated has any right to be
ignorant concerning the social and po-
liticaI structure which is built up
around him.
'I believe the Christian citizen has a
right to protest against the withdraw
al from the political hurly-burly of any
man who has been educated to do
things. There are men in every one of
our states and cities who are engaged
in professional careers, doctors, law
yers, artists singers, authors, who with
complacent selfshness make it the
practice of their lives never to have
anything to do whatever with the po-
litical life of the state. We would all
be astonished no doubt if we could see
the list of educated men in this coun-
try who have never cast vote, who
have absolutely no knowledge Of the
making of a town, of its municipal reg
ulations, the duties of its officers, their
responsibilities, etc, and I say it is the
duty of every Christian educated man
to protest against this selfish with
dra wal into their own little world Of
any man of education and refinement
who pleads as an excuse his own i'm
mediate and particular business in life.
'I know one Of the most educated
cahnlatfU in New ENGLAND.
He was born almost under the shadow
of Faneuil hall. He has as his heri-
tage from a line of Pilgrim ancestry
beautiful traits of mind and heart. He
owes to the surroundings which have
been made for him by the efforts of
men who have cruciGed their own ease
and comfort nearly every physical and
intellectual advantage which he pos
sesses. Yet this refined, scholarly, Gull
tured gentleman has never attended
single political gathering in his own
city He has never raised his voice in
any public address or publication
against any form Of public iniquity. He
has never appeared On any public plat
spends his time writing unquestionably
beautiful things, but he lives solitary,
secluded (and I believe it is a perfectly
charitable remark to make, because
just,) an intensely selfish life on the
side of his public responsibility.
Does he owe nothing to the nation2
Has the city of his birth no claim upon
him? Is it not as much his duty to
help with SVoice and pen to make the
political life of that city cleaner and
stronger, as it is the duty of any
other MANI He has no right to seelude
himself from the public life of the
world because it would be a cross for
him to carry.
I'VE face today in our city life con-
ditions which are expressed, for ex-
ample. by men like Senator Plunkett.
the Tammany leader, who is reported
as saying lately, This country cannot
get along without political parties. and
political parties cannot get along with
out offices. Therefore Tammany is
going to save the country by destroying
the civil service curse, and bringing
things back to the condition they were
in when patriots fiourished and were
rewarded with all the good things go
ing When their parties won. There
you have it in the baldest and frank
est form -oSsible. and at tie heart of
this frank statement lies the rotten
core OF American political life.
ITO say that the educated man has no
duty to perform, no responsibility to bear,