The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-23
OBLIGATION
man To PARTY
GOV. BALDWIN DISCUSSES THIS
POINT IN FOURTH OF DODGE
LECTURES.

Gov. Simeon E. Baldwin In deliv-
ering the fourth Of the series of Dodge
lectures on citizenship, at Yale, last
evening, took as his topic, '"The ed
ucated Man in Public Office" In part
he said.
Men of superior education fill the
higher offices in our country in a pro-
portion far in excess Of that which
they bear, as a class, to the rest of
the community. The higher the office
the greater is this proportion. OF the
dents of the United States. only seven
Washington, Jackson, Van Buren,,
Polk, Taylor, Lincoln and Cleveland,
had not had the advantages of col
lege training. While these include
three ilustrious names, the list of
showing that native talent, high char
acter. and good use of opportunity for
self Improvement may carry their
possessors to any height Of power,
proves also that the greatest stations
in public life seldom go to men Of
middling ability, unless 1t has been
disciplined and steadied by careful
cultivation.
Similar results are apparent in all
the other lines of high public service.
"In the preceding lectures I have
spoken of the reasons for this, and
|
ted man owes to his country to give
her the benefit Of whatever he has
learned, to the measure Of his oppor-
tunity. But in taking office he makes
an essential change of position. He
no longer speaks only for himself He
no longer has the same freedom to
follow his own lead. More depends
largely at others risk. He has there
fore less right Of political indepen-
dence.
ION the other hand, he now has
better means of information as to
public matters. This may change
his views of political policy. He has
gained sounder basis Of opinion.
I'm most cases he was elected as
the nominee Of political party. This
implies certain obligation to sup
port them in measures which 1t Is
understood to favor. The educated
party. has become such because 1t on
the whole was the one best repre-
senting the policies which he prefers.
If he be put in office it is because he
belonged to it. He owes it something
II he were not ready to act with 1t,
In ordinary cases. he was wrong IN
accepting office at its hands.
Particularly is this true of the leg
islator. The senator or representa-
tive is in a measure. under our gen
eral American system of parcelling
out offices in view particularly Of
geographical conditions, Identified
with his constituents.
'Such considerations will not justify
him in doing what he knows to be a
positive wrong. They will rightly
have weight in determining his duty
in matters where there is room for
reasonable argument on both sides
Abstract theories are not always safe
guides through practical conditions.
They gather limitations as they pro-
coed. The rule Of right may be in
variable, but who is wise enough al
ways to discern it?
IF to any leader Of the people,
however, it remains obscure as to
some particular measure or policy
that Is broad and large in character,
he may be reasonably sure that the
people as a, whole will see it more
clearly, and certain that they will
cast their votes according to their
moral convictions.
Were this not SO. our system of
government would have fallen TO
pieces long ago.
Here in the United States, in our
country Of popular education, the COL
lective and intelligent opinion of the
community upon any moral issue.
clearly put before it, is, under nor
NAL conditions, always well-motived.
It is to do right,-right as it seems
| to the community. And if education
| has done this for us, it can do it,. in
Gods own time. for the world.
1.-THE educated man will seldom fall
to feel the far reaching force of relig-
| ion in human government He sees
| that the strongest foundation on
| which to build up any broader meas
! ure Of social betterment is that of a
higher morality. The state papers
that appeal, in sincerity and truth,
to these deep sources of power, carry
the most weight.
Here is the hope Of the social re-
| former, If he gains political power.
He must rely on the conscience Of the
people, and in measure on the con-
science Of the world.
1.-The nature of political science has
largely changed and broadened out
during the last half century.
1.-The laws governing the dealings Of
one people with other people must be
those of universal obligation. Here
may at last be yet realized the thought
! of stole philosophy, that there is, could
we only discern it, one law for all men
and all things"