The Washington herald., 1908-08-30
Elections and Education.

The present political campaign. about
which some Of the professional politi-
clans are complaining that there Is mark
ed lack Of enthusiasm. is primarily cam
psign Of education It is. perhaps. too. a
sign of our national growth The fact
that We are less exubersntly enthusiastic
for men. and are more quietly and sanely
thoughtful in regard 10 measures, might
perhaps be taken as evidence that We are
getting away. in degree, from the col
Iege youth period OF our adolescence
We are moved TO this consideration by
an article in the current issue OF the At
lantic Monthly by M Porritt an Eng
lishman, now residing in this country
He complains that the system Of choosing
our public servants through the ballot is
needIessly cumbersome. and he gives an
analysis Of the English system Of cleo
tions. Mr.. Porritt ands that the Aneri-
can people leave most OF their politics 10
the domination OF the machine" and he
complains that most Of the political docu-
ments issued during a campaign are made
70 relate 10 men. rather than TO issues
He believes that there would be better
success in choosing the right man for the
right place Il We would strive for greater
simplicity IN our elections. and lay greater
emphasis on the educational method in
our campaigns.
Mr.. P0rrftt contrasts the sane. lively in
terest which an election creates in Eng
land with the rather Indifferent attitude
assumed by the better class Of voters IN
the United States. and he attributes the
difference 10 the greater educational
methods employed in England There, be
tells Us. especial stress IS laid through
/ statements on bHboards and through the
public press on the attitude OF the rival
! candidates toward public questions in
which the people may be supposed di-
rectIy 20 be interested. 40 such thing as
! ing is possible in the candidates bid for
the franchise Of the electors. # the can
didate has served the public before, he is
/ required 70 say just what public service
I ne has performed. and 10 state what he
/ proposes to do in the future. And these
3 statements in the press and spread broad
cast are supplemented in most cases by
Individual letters. written and signed by
the candidate and sent 70 the voters
M Porritt speaks. 700. Of the nunici
pal spirit that IS so Characteristic Of IN,
English provinces. and he expresses n,
opinion that this spirit viii not develop
20 the same degree. in America uni
there is less power in the hands Of In
professional politician and more in n,
hands Of The people. until the machine
IS eliminated; until there Is more rea
/ education on political matters throug'
mass meeting and through real pubIi
discussion
In reading Nj Por-itt's article as Z
what IS needed. one cannot restrain
gratifying sense that the writer Is only
short way ahead Of cur times. Along III
path that Mr.. Porritt points out as de
si-able. we have already Travelled far. tn
present campaign. with its lack Of heat
with It's entire elimination Of persona
abuse-so prominent II former Presiden
tiaI campaigns-with its calm discussio
OF issues. which through the press an
public discussion have become. year b
year. more familiar 70 the American pee
PIE. shows US that We haze advanced
long way toward the educational method
and that more and more in this eountr
II is 10 be measures and not men o
whom our voters viii rely