The Cordova daily times., 1920-06-02
POLITICS IS THE NOBLEST OCCU.
 PATTON OF CITIZENSHIP

PATTON OF Cl IZNSHIP
 Politics in republic like ours is the means whereby public questions are determined through the influence of public opinion
 On the part of the citizen it repre- sents the exercise of a sovereignty and a responsibility quite as real as that of a single ruler or group of r9ll- CTS in any government where control of public affairs is left to one or q few
 The person who says he is too busy or too good to take a hand in poIi- tics merely declares that he thinks he is too good or too busy to assume his share of responsibility for the wise direction of the affairs of his own country. s.~~- .--.,-
 No one in time of war thinks of boasting that he is either a stacker or deserter. But there are actually men and women who think it is sign of superiority to affect wisdom and goodness which prevents them from taking an interest and a hand in the control of public affairs through the one means open to the cltizen,-the field of politics.
 The man who sneers at government or at politics, and decries the abuses existing in hem, but who at the same time neglects to participate in politics or public affairs, merely advertises his own cowardice or indifference to wrongs he is able to recognize, but which he is unwilling to help remedy,
 Politics and public affairs are as good as the people who take Q hand in them. If their direction is selfish and evil elements, then of course sell fish and evil influence will prevail there. But on the other hand if the community give to these fields of en- deavor the attention they ought to nave, then the level of politics and of public affairs will be lifted up.
 
 Indifference is not merely mega tive evil; it is in the public affairs of a popular government, a positive vice. The man or woman guilty of . indifference to politics in a republic has no right to complain of the short comlngs of those who actually parti- cipate in politics-because if is not possible that those who do take a hand could be worse than the thor oughly selfish elements involved in exercising their own influence to cor rect wrongs and abuses they declare exist
 It is favorite pose of people who wish to explain their own failure to take a hand in politics to assume that Tn some mysterious and unexplained way some unseen something called machine" has taken charge of pol 1t1cs and that it is useless for ordi- nary citizens to attempt to resist it's power. But no organization has ever effected in politics for a selfish or mal1gn purpose which we'll intentioned men might not meet and overcome through an organization effected for unselfish and patriotic purposes. The trouble is in most instances that the slackers and deserters in politics are really not as high minded and aItr1- istic as they claim to be. They are merely looking around for we'll sound ing excuses for their civic treason
 For civic treason is the word to ap- ply to the citizen who repudiates his birthright of Americanism through 8 refusal to show an active and intelli- gent interest in the performance of the duties of citizenship. The funda- mental duty of citizenship is to study public problems, to affiliate with some movement of citizens similarly mind ed on broad questions of public pol icy, and to use ones influence, in CO., operation with others, for the advance ment of that political party and that leadership which comes nearest to representing ones own views in gov ernmental matters.
 The man or woman who sneers or rail at politics and public affairs without taking hand in their regu- lation is a legitimate object in re-