The Newtown bee., 1908-07-03

at this meeting that the nomination.
 for national ard local officers must be
 controlled. The primary committee
 are here able to bring personal inhu,
 ence to bear directly upon the voters
 and exert themselves to the utmost tC
 secure the selection of such delegates
 to the higher conventions as meet their
 approval. Men of questionable politi.
 cal methods know this and try by a
 carefully planned organization before
 the meeting is called to secure the ap.
 pointment of delegates who either rep.
 resent their peculiar notions of govern
 ment or who are weak enough to serve
 as tools. When once the delegates are
 chosen at the primary to the next
 higher conventions the matter is out of
 the voters hands. If the voters have allowed themselves to be dominated by
 a corrupt machine there is no remedy.
 On election day they must either vote
 for the candidates who are on the list or waste their votes altogether. One active man at the caucus has more power in shaping the policy of his country than ten men at the polls on election day. Since such is the case is it not the duty of every cit
 izen to attend these primary meetings?
 To take an active part in them? What are the future prospects of a nation
 whose people are indifferent to its vel
 fare? Are they promising? Is the na-
 tion safe? Are its foundations firm
 Yes, if the man or men in control are
 like Lincoln, Titus or Aristides, up-
 right and intelligent; if they love their country in disinterested way, if they make a study of the needs of the people and try to supply them, if they come forward chiefly because they know that it is their duty to do so and not merely to satiate ambition or worse still to satisfy passion for wealth, power or personal revenge.
 But what if a bloody, unjust, ambi- tlous tyrant like Nero or Marat or a weak, worse than useless figurehead like Louis XIV Ia slave of woman's pas sions and caprices) or one of the "do, nothing" kings of France (mere tools of ambitious schemers) should gain control? Such a state of affairs can come to pass in any country and at any time. Is it wise therefore to let possible tyranny get foothold? Is it right to let oppression, imperceptible at first perhaps, become the law of the land until the abused people rise in their blind anger and indignation like infuriated beasts and not like reason able human beings to throw off the in- tolerable yoke? Is there any need of a possible repetition of the bloody scenes and surging mobs of the French Revo- lution or of the prescription of Sulla, Marius and the second triumvirate of Rome? This is not to cast discredit upon anyone but merely to show to what, lack of civic spirit may lead, why factions that are feared by cor rupt party leaders should be formed and why citizens (where they have that should express their views when necessary.
 Patriotism without intelligence how ever is not able to cope successfully with the problems that come before a nation. If we have strayed into an un- known vicinity, we ask those whom we chance tQ meet either to guide or direct us. When the uneducated are allow ed to vote and wish to do so, they natural ly depend upon the intelligence of some more fortunate friend or acquain- tance to belp them decide with which party they are to cast their lot. In other words they need guide. If the guide is upright the principles of differ ant parties are explained as clearly as possible and personal feelings and opinions are forced back. But if the guide is dishonest, only one side of the question will be presented. Would guides be absolutely necessary if the people were intelligent as a whole? Have not nations made the best history and greatest progress when the educa- +ion of the people was most carefully looked after? Has it not been proved that knowledge and training are neces- sary to express ideas clearly and forci- ply and to debate successfully? Web ster, Cicero and Demosthenes were ed- lcated. Without education could these men have expressed themselves as clearly and forcibly, could they have 'wayed their listeners as they did? Even when individuals lack the power ,f eloquence they can still, if they are educated, have influence through the pen. The press has come to be the great distributor of opinions, it con- lects north and south. it makes the passions of the east felt in the west.
 The history of nation is good in to the intelligence of, and
 he interest that it's people take in its affairs. When the standard of aver lge intelligence and culture is high, he citizenship in high and the great st contribution is made to civiliza- ion when the standard is low, the citizenship is relatively low. It there ore behooves us as town, state, na- ion, and people to make the most of ducation and to instill into our minds he need of civic spirit.
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