The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-11-03

1t is matter of more or less common
remark that partizanship is not conduc-
i've to good government; that personal
! fitness of the individual is more i'm
portant consideration than party affilia-
ton. On the part of many voters this
sentiment springs from honest convic-
ton, while many a shrewd politician
who owes his elevation to Office to party
service of the most answering char
acter, makes use of it to get the votes
of his sentimental opponents.
The chances are you will find the po-
litical candidate who most insistently
counsels nOn.partisan action on the part
of the voter has been party man all
his life and has knife to grind about
the size of scythe blade.
1t cannot be denied that il. is the
duty of every voter to place principle
above partizanship, and the welfare of
his country above all other political
considerations, but if the party Of his
allegiance fairly represents his senti
ments, in these particulars, then as
matter Of common sense he ought to
support the candidates of that party if
their qualifications and general repute
are equal to the same qualities possessed
by the candidates on the opposing tick
cts.
! This is true because partisanship is
necessary to give cohesiveness and
point to political action, and the princi-
pie holds as good for the members of
the democratic party as for members
of the republican party. 1t is simply
business sense applied to politics and
politics is big business meriting the APP
plication of sense in an extraordinary
degree.
Partisan action in this country has
been the outgrowth of circumstances;
the fulfillment of national need.
1t was not the thought of the found
ers of the republic that political parties
should fill the large place in our national
life which they do today. This was
evident in the early mode of eecting
the chief executive and his second.
The candidate receiving the highest
number of votes was to serve as presi-
dent; the one receiving the next high
est number was to be the vice presi-
dent, and congress was to enact legisla-
ton through independent deliberation
and debate.
But it was soon found the people
naturally aligned themselves on great
issues behind great leaders, in order to
attain concerted action, and the forma-
ton of political parties was the newt
able and speedy result.
AS further step in the development
of political procedure, it was found that
great principles of governmental policy,
established by partisan action and en-
actment, could be successfully admins
tered, or sympathetically administered,
if you please only by members of the
party advocating such principles, and
thus the practice of filling public Of
fees, so far as possible, with adher-
ents of the dominant party came into
being.
These practices, as we have shown,
were engrafted upon our national life
through natural and spontaneous de-
mand. More than that, they are logi
cal, useful and entirely defensible.
Without political parties the voters
of the country would be working at
cross purposes, each man, or at best
small groups of men, advocating little
different shade of policy than his neigh
Dor or another group and great pur-
poses would be lost in inconsequential
chickering's.
1t was a fortunate thing for the
American people that in matters of pol
itics they early learned to subordinate
minor differences and unite in the adj
vocacy and trial of great principles
through the mediumship of party ac-
| ton.
Cooperation is as logical and neces-
sary in politics as in business.
Being thus essential to public well
fare, party organizations are main
tanned through two principal instrument
taltes: adherence to common princi-
pie and rewarding with public office,
men who perform exceptional party
service, Both the above mentioned in
/ strumentalities are worthy. Principle
first and then reward and honor to the
men whose labors make it effectual.
When the world ceases to honor its
great poets there will be no more poets.
when it ceases to honor its great SOL
diers there will be no more great SOL
diers, when it ceases to reward its
great inventors there will be no more
great inventors and when men cease to
honor and reward those who perform
political service for them there will be