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Show LOYALTY AND POLITICS THIS is the "offest" off year In the history of American politics. Not brass bands or flaming wall posters or the amoothest-tongued "spellbinders" "spellbind-ers" can stir the average voter man or woman this year to parti-Kan parti-Kan excitement or activity. That is well, although it is by no means to be wished that parties should die or even maintain a merely sickly life; this year, and as long as the war lasts, party politics should take not the first but tho second place In public pub-lic affairs. both of the great parties are thoroughly thor-oughly loyal. How it is with the third, fourth and other parties we do not stop to inquire, if they foster disloyalty, there are now laws to deal with them. Put in each of the great organizations that are supported by an overwhelming majority of the voters vo-ters there is a small but secretly active ac-tive minority of disloyal men, and of pacifists, who are quite as dangerous. Against them only need voters of either party beware. Our modern election laws give great advantages to minorities. A plurality nominates; a plurality elects. If there are several loyal candidates for a single office in a primary, pri-mary, and a pacifist succeeds in slip ping through among them all, what is a good Democrat or Republican to do at the polls? Surely he should vote for the candidate of the oih'-r party, if that candidate is a trm; man. If he does not, he gives politics poli-tics the first instead of the second place. Hut If both candidates are sturdily loyal if both of them can be depended de-pended upon to support the President in an all wise war measure it is right and proper for voters to stand with their party, whether that party is or Is not the party of the President. Pres-ident. For, outside war matters, parties and the men who compose them do approach public question? from points far apart and reach opposite op-posite conclusions upon them. For example, if a Republican is a strong protectionist, and his party candidate candi-date is trustworthy on war measures, it would be politically unwise for him to vote for the opposing candidate. candi-date. No one need fear that the people of the United States will worship strange political gods while the war lasts. German propaganda failed when it had every chance and was playing on us with a free hand in the days of Bernstorff and Boy-Ed. The American voter is neither stupid nor disloyal. He will know how to defeat all insidious schemes and all halfhearted half-hearted or false-hearted candidates who interfere with success in our great purpose.- Youth's Companion. |