The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-01
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

Gh 1ntF TIN
Traditions die hard.
One as TO the nature of what we
call politics"
Politics is-or are-"dirty," it is
said
But who makes them dirty"
The people that exploit them.
! Reduce politics to its last etymo-
logical significance and you will find
| it's component parts made up of the
best linguistic blood.
Politics are all right.
It's a good thing we are getting
away from the idea than that they
aren't
That to center politics" means a
step down.
A descent
A topping of civic ideals.
And dabbling in the mire.
Therefore to discuss politics" is
supposed to mean a debased CONVEX
sational exchange.
A sort of argurnentative orgy.
A wrangle.
A row.
politics." says the dictionary, lis
the science of government. That part
of ethics which has to do with the
regulation and government of nation
or state the preservation of it's safety
peace and prosperity, the defence of
its existence and rights against for
eign control or conquest, the augmen-
tation of it's strength and resources,
and the protection of it's citizens in
their rights, with the preservation and
Improvement of their morals"
That's politics according to Hoyle,
as it were.
Anyway according to Webster and
nobody disputes Webster.
Not even the Century or the Stand
ard dictionaries.
Webster is our standby and depend
ence.
We don't question the DEGREES of the
Almighty.
Nor the announcements of Web
ster.
What's the use, then, of continuing
to hang on to the old fogey notion
that to discuss politics" means to
engage in battle of epithets, recrim-
nations, profane objurgations and
general meleeism.
other names.
Get red in the face.
Yell.
Shake our fists.
Jump up and down and froth at the
mouth.
Enter the ring, SO to speak, and
pummel our opponent until either he
or his second bowls for quarter.
But such is the notion of the aver
age when you say it would be good
thing to discuss politics.
Women, in instance, if they are 60
ing to interest themselves in the poll
tical situation, should know something
about it from the ground up.
The ground" is the place where
they live.
In a national election, for example,
it's good thing to find out who's run
ming on the ticket of the party you are
interested in. 1t really doesn't make so
much difference who is elected Presi-
dent
But it might make a whole lot of
difference to you who was elected
prosecuting attorney or member of the
legislature or County Commissioner
or even Congressman.
How many women know who the
candidates for the County offices are
on the tickets with which they are al
filiated or are in which they are inter-
ested?
How many of them know who is
running for representative and who
for state senator?
How much do you know of the stu
alton as it affects your particular To-
cality?
That's the thing you ought to get
together and find out if you are inter-
esting yourself in public affairs.
1t is the truth that when the cam
paign was on last Spring for electing
woman to the school board, for the
first time in their history many wom-
en- found out what ward they lived in
and who their councilmen were
And, be it said, good many more
men than you'd imagine.
1t is the Indifference Of the people
which causes things to be as they are.
They talk a good deal about gov
ernmental control Of corporations and
public utilities.
But, the truth is, if the people them