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Show STUDY POLITICS. The word politics carries with it to the minds of many otherwise good citizens cit-izens an odium, and they class political agitation along with pugilism and horse racing, which they feel should be avoided avoid-ed by respectable citizens. "Politics should be left to the politicians" they say, and acting upon this they keep themselves aloof from the struggle. This sentiment we believe to be wrong. In a representative government like ours each must raise his voice in the selection se-lection of officers from the most insignificant insig-nificant local office up to the highest in the land in which he has a voice, or else he will go unrepresented or misrepresented. mis-represented. The humblest office in the humblest precinct in our country must be filled by competent and honest persons or the people suffer. No American has a right to say he will not participate in politics, and when he does say so if incompetency and corruption creep into high political places he should hold his peace. No difference what may be a than'a occupation, plae or "tacdingin tha community if he is an American citizen, native born or naturalized,it is his duty to use his influence in the direction of good government. To do this, one need not become an "offensive partisan." parti-san." He need not, indeed, take the stump in favor of his party ; but if he believes Democracy is for the best good of hia country, he should say so, and the same if he is a believer in Republicanism. Republi-canism. He should attend the primaries pri-maries of his party to see that proper representative men are sent to nominating nomi-nating conventions and councils of the party. To leave politics to the politicians is to invite the office-seeker and persons greedy of power and gain to rule you. We have no professional politicians among us now, but 6hould the sentiment senti-ment above referred to prevail, we soon would have, and then the people would mourn. As Rx-Pkesident Cleveland said at the dinner of the Commercial club at Providence, R. I., a few days ago: "In order that the patriotism and intelligence intelli-gence of the country should prevail in our legislation the patriotic and intelli gent men of the country must see to it that they are properly represented in our national councils." This wise sentiment senti-ment is no less applicable to local than to national affairs, and Tme Dispatch is strongly of the opinion that every citizen should use his personal and political, but not his religious or official, offi-cial, influence in the direction of political politi-cal purity and good government. |