Mohave County miner., 1906-10-06
So Called Good citixens."

Every election day is sort of Judg- ment day for the individual voter, as we'll as for the country. Every elec- tion is test of our institutions; it is also test of our intelligence, our characters and our souls. Now is the time when local and national policies are determined, and now is the time when men are made conspicuous fools of by others and by themselves.
 If one could detach himself from all interest in an election except a psycho- logical one-could be indifferent to results, from patriotic point of view the study of character and of per- sonal peculiarities would be vastly en- tertaining. For instance, it would be amusing to behold the fatuity with which certain well-meaning souls man. age to be made tools of by the most patent demagogues and charlatans. As sure as an election approaches where in some grotesque adventurer is to play his game one sees certain of ones acquaintance preparing to walk straight into the trap prepared for them. Sometimes the dupe has half consciousness of his position, and puts forth explanations and apologies which make his conduct only more ridicu- lous, or, rather, more pitiful and mis- chievous.
 But detachment of criticism is inn possible when one takes one's citizen ship to heart. A voter little acquaint- ed with history, a man ignorant of the traits which have marked the demo- gogues of all ages-especially the demagogues who use money lavishly- may have ample excuse for being mis- led, finding the demagogue's money actually in hand and hearing the promise of prompt change for the better in all the conditions of life. But for the man who has had the op- pOrtunity of learning from books and from life the traits which mark the brazen, self-seeking, self-advertising, sensational, misunderstanding dema- gogue-for such man to ratiocinate himself into the position of an apolo- gist and supporter of charlatan there is no excuse.
 One may we'll ask why sincere be- lievers in cause are often so reckless in the choice of leaders; why they let the leaders, in fact, choose themselves, then feebly acquiesce. After acquies- cing, they soon become advocates, re- beating by rote the phrases that the adventurer has put into their mouths, and lending their influence to the cre- atiOn of standards which demoralize the community.
 For it is right standards, and these alone, which save the community. There were noble standards in the minds of the generation that created the new republic of the New World, and there were noble standards in the minds of the generation that brought us through the civil war. There were standards of high principle, and stand ards of high character. in the chief upholders of those principles. Doubt less neither era was without its dema- gogues, but the leaders were not of these.
 Every citizen, every voter, who takes part in advancing the selfish career of charlatan is doing irrepar- able harm to the country in his day and generation. Let such a citizen not excuse himself on account of his devotion to some particular cause, which also the charlatan pledges him. self to support. The good citizen should think too highly of his cause to wish to see it's sacred banners borne by impure hands. He ought to be aware that the charlatan's support of some cause or other is absolutely nec- essary to any sort of success. at the polls. For the political adventurer most free handed with his money knows we'll enough that votes cannot be secured by the distribution of cash for expenses on large enough scale to carry elections over a wide territory, without adding to the in- fuence of money the influence of a cause.
 A citizen with any desire to be counted among the good elements of a cOmmunitv ShOuld ynoLo b;vpcolf folt