Milford chronicle., 1945-01-12

OF Cne people To exercise care ana
discrimination in the election OF
their officials. y remarkable char
aCtcriStiC OF the voters is the sig
niticance they apparently attach to
the statements of newly found
faith. made by candidates in the
heat of Il political campaign. Dis
illusi0nment is bound To follow
FGch gullibility. The fault is not
primarily the candidates. whose
sense OF values may we'll be upset
by the excitement of the cam
paign; it is !; the voters lack OF
discrimination Citizens should
know that a candidates character
and convictions. like any other
mans. aUe indicated by his conduct
through the years prior 10 the cleo
ton. They are wholly naive to at
tach any particular importance 10
campaign OratOry. designed on the
spur of the moment for an obvious
purpose.
FEELING or IRRESPONSIBHITY
This failure to think and to dis
criminate in their Judgment arises
from the fact that they do not
recOGniZe the relation between their
vote and the broad policies of gov
eminent which cause their ruin or
salvation. as the case may be.
Their feeling OF irreSpOnsihilty is
evident in the curious. detached
manner in which So many people
discuss the Congress or the Lcgis-
lature as ii they We're composed of
men of another world 1t doesn't
seem to occur 10 these people that
in criticiZiE their representatives
they are in very real sense talk
ing about themselves.
One often hears at election time
the complaint that the candidates
for an office are not worthy. Ii this
is true. is it not perhaps because
the conditions OF political life are
such that better men don't care to
participate? This aprsars TO be rs-
pecially true in the ease Of the
minor political officials. but il is
from the minor Otli1ials that the
powerful ones are OIF.n drawn. In
order to do an effective job OF i'm
proving our government service 1t
must be regarded as a whole. Pub
lie service on every level must be
given the recognition which il
Justly deserves and which our wei
fare requires. The pay OF public
officials is mcager. as compared 10
comparable positions i'll industry.
One has only to compare. for eX-
ample. the salary of the governor
of any state with that of the lead
ing industialist in that state. to
see that in spite OF the greater re-
sponsibility OF the governor his sal
airy is ordinarily as little as one
fifth or less of that OF the indus
trialiSt.
In many circles the very term
"politician" has come to be one OF
derision and contempt. on a par
believe. with "bureaucrat. Tn,
result OF this attitude, OF this low
esteem OF the people for politics
has been that the ambitious anC
capable young men of our country
rarely aspire to political career
; They perter to become bankers
doctors. merchants or manutaCtur
crs. 50 they can acquire economic
security and the respect of thci
: fellow men which few of then
! could hope for in puhli' life. Tn
remarkable thing to mr. 1l; hoy
, many good men have entered poll
a ties and governmental department
, in spite of these discouraging cir
I cumStanCeS.
q If this country is to continue a
Il ggeat nation OF free men. in
free world. our people must tax
: their civic duties more seriOusl!
They must recognize that govern
mcnt is the fundamental nstitr
+ ton OF our civilization: that bus
y ness OF every description. liter;
~ ture. art, religion and the prOfe.
il. siOns can flourish only if wis
20 and Just government exists To pro
, tpCt those activities. In word. OF
;c people must come to understand II
90 significance of their gOvernmen
90 and to respect those to whom the
=, delegate the duty of s. operation
+ Thu strongest urg" OF nearly e
o. cry normal human being is to o.
10 tain the approval of his fellow me
~ II this approval is accorded II
,t business man. then our best yOul
nt men will seek to be business me
mr. If this approval is accorded POI
y ticians. then they will enter pOl
no tics. Our youth should be taug
.is in school and out of school that Il
Al most honorable of all profession
r is that of service in the COVER
he meGt. not Onl yin war time but
mr. all times. And last but by no mca
TO- least. public service must he I
at WardCd in q manner comparable
~ that of private industry. 1t mU
NJ become possible for Il young ma
TO with brains and character. to To-
as fOrWT d to Il life of relative SeCr
IL ity and honor i'll the service Of /
ed country. In short, the life OF
nd public official must become deS
Nv able to the young man of ability,
,ic we are to secure She flesh a
ch brains essential for the animati
he OF the skeletons which we are
to carefully creating in the conf'
Is ence rooms
,at If the United Nations Organi,
IRE ton is TO be SucceSSlul J" preSc'
he ing peace. it is absOlutel. ndispC
re- sable that we be represented
bic men With bold and original min
Sc. The problems TO be solved {
az new. The prcjudices and suspiciC
;as of a by-gone day must not prev;
IT'S. A way must be found to get you
ard men OF vision ana understand
tCN"eprescnt us.
les Because of the loss Of so many
m our finest young men uF-n
but battlefield. it is going TO be dOu