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Show ATTOSHEY U! TUB OF PDUTICm PITIES First of a Series of Lectures to Be Given at the Y. M. G. A.- An Interesting and instructive address was given at the Y. M. C. A.' Sunday afternoon by Attorney William W. Ray, upon the subject: "Political Parties; Their Function and tho Loyalty Duo Them." Mr. Ray said, in part: "Thero seems to be no doubt in tho minds of most of us today that politically wc are bad. . On every hand we hear the cry, 'Corruption, corruption, when will It ond?' Almost any man would givo as his final conclusion that In this line our virtues are fast slipping from us and becoming be-coming a sad and dim memory of the past. But I wish to say that In my opinion tho reverse is true. .Never have we had at tho head of tho affairs of state and nation men of purer purpose than we have today. We are as si nation advancing ad-vancing socially, religiously and politically. politi-cally. We are making progress for good. "The organization of a political party is not necessarily an evidence of unanimity unan-imity of opinion on certain questions that concern government. Indeed, there aro as many ideas of what Republicanism ought to be as there arc Republicans. The samo Is true of the. Democrats,, tho Socialists and the Prohibitionists. It Is necessary, however, that party organizations organiza-tions be effected, otherwise, political progress would be Impossible. The secret of political life and virility In every question ques-tion of issue is the fact that thero is always an organized vigorous minority. "Wherein lies the duty of the honest citizen? How much should ho sacrifice for his party? In the first place he should be Informed on the questions at Issue. He should know his own mind. Herein lies tho danger. Men are careless; care-less; they do not inform themselves and a man who dares express an opinion is branded as a demagogue The citizen who religiously attends his party primaries prim-aries Is called a 'ward heeler' and a grafter. Yet on the whole we are better Informed today on the political Issues paramount In party and nation than ever before In tho history of the country. It may be that in the few years immediately immediate-ly following the American revolution the people were more keenly ullvo to and more personally interested in tho affairs of state than now, but I believe it an exaggeration to make that statement. "I do believe that we suffer more from political corruption In times of peace than in times of struggle. The citizen grows careless and Indifferent allows power to pass into tho hands of selfish and corrupt men, whoso only purpose is personal gain. It is tho duty of every man to inform himself concerning the candidates for whom ho votes. He should be loyal to his party, attend its primaries, prim-aries, and bo active and Intelligent In all tho machinery of government so far a3 he may. Ills ballot should bo cast by his conscience, Ills vote should bo tho volco of intelligent conviction. Let men bo loyal to their honest 6tudlcd beliefs and the party that most nearly voIcch that belief." |
