The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-03
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.


How many women interested in
seeing a woman on the school board
have called up their councilman and
found out what the latter's attitude is
on the subject?
For the matter depends entirely on
how the individual members of the
city council will vote.
The only way to find out how they
are going to vote is to ask them.
And there is no reason why they
shouldn't tell you.
For the dotngs Of any councilman
should be open to every person in his
ward.
If he evades, is vague. side-steps a
direct answer and even, mayhap,
shows symptoms of grouchiness over
being Intercepted at all and happens
to more or less delicately intimate
that 1t isn't any of your business how
he votes, that that Is personal mat
ter and he don't intend to be annoyed
with questions as to what he intends
to do or not do-rest assured he's
been in dark chamber conference with
the politicians.
The whole trouble with the coun-
try is this-there is too much pulling
down of the blinds and retiring to in
ner rooms, too many entrances by the
alley-gate, too much tip-toeing and
putting the fingers to the lips and
executing mysterious high-signs.
Everything done by government
of any sort, whether city up to natieA-
al, should be open to the light of day.
This is an alleged government by
the people and the people have right
to know what is going on.
And it's the fault of the people that
they don't know.
They won't take the trouble to find
out.
Because of the Indifference of the
voting body to official procedure, or
its absorption in it's own individual
affairs with consequent neglect of nee
essary attention to those of the pub
lie OF which it is part, politicians
have been left very much to their
own devices and it wouldn't be human
nature if they didn't pull the strings
to suit themselves.
Somebody has to run things.
Then when it's too late, the former
jump up and down and froth at the
mouth and howl-"the corrupt politi-
cians!"
When the truth is it's they who are
corrupt in neglecting their civic du-
ties and delegating them, oftener than
not, to underlings and parasites.
No pity should be wasted on a body
Of enfranchised citizens who complain
of the "corruptness" of politics"
If you'll take the trouble to look up
the meaning of politics" in the die
tionary, you'll find there is no opprob-
ium attached to the word.
The shadow cast upon it has been
cast by those who denounce it.
They, themselves, make the shadow
Hence politics" has come to mean
graft" corruption" dark chamber
deals and other linguistic stock in
trade of the reformer.
When the fact is that politics is a
perfectly legitimate form of civic
activity.
One of the finest exhibitions of civ
ic frankness on record was that
shown by Governor Hughes who, upon
taking the gubernatorial office of the
great city of New York, put his desk
into the reception-room where, up to
that time, those seeking to see him in
common parlance, cooled their
heels" many of them, until the latter
were frozen stiff, the while the Gov
ernor entrenched in an inner sanctum
smoking a cigar. was only to be ap-
preached through a series of Hobbies
and held up by fiunkies of more or
less degree of authority before usher