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Show not be influenced by sloiies about what thi s 01 that party has done or It ft undone. un-done. Nor khouid be be guided by assertions as-sertions that such a leading man is a Democrat and such a one a Republican-Ifany Republican-Ifany man becomes either a Democrat ura Republican let it be by conviction. If he has no betier guide that the assertions asser-tions that such a prominent person is a member of a given paity, he had better wait until he learns something and knows fur himself what he ought to do. No man who has been a member of the 1'eople's paity when asked whether he is a Republican or a Democrat, need be ashamed to answer, "I don't know," or "1 don't belong to neither party," lie need not be natural because he is independent. inde-pendent. He niay see that the claims of each parly are about equal, the merits and delects of either evenly balancing bal-ancing those of the other. Or he may yet be insullicienlly infotmed as to the actual and essential difleieiice of ihe two While he is halting between two opin-ons opin-ons or has made up his mind that he will unite with either paity, he can still exercise his inlluence as a citizen and summrt pood measures and (rood men accoidinij to his best judgment as to thcr c'aiins upon his suffrage Tins is a time for dillisent inquiiy and fur calm reflection. And the advocates of the great national parties will find it betier to approach the undecided wilh facts and figures, and lucid explanations o! political doctrine, then with denun; cialion of the opposing arty. piedic-tions piedic-tions of disaster as the lesult of lis dominance, domi-nance, exasperations as to it doina and tailures, or su;e;estlve hints as to the party which some E'eat or influential man belongs to. Let us have liht and lotfic, contrast and comparison, fairness and freedom. Andlttotir clistussions be conducted wilh couiiesy and our arirunients with stiicl regard lor ihe truth and the rights of otheis. And when we decide as to party, let us do so honestly and from individual in-dividual conviclion of what is best for Utah and for the countiy which is our by Dirth cr by adoption. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TIMES. It is desirable that the people of Utah hall become thoroughly acqi sinted w th ihe science of civil government, and par ticularly with the doctrines of American Ameri-can republicanism. But while they ought to study politics, it is not desirable that they shad become politicians that is to say, such scheming and unprincipled unprincipl-ed tricksters as the term politicians is nnnnlarlv used to dei-cnbe. In the high- er and more coriecl sense of the word they should all be politicians-studenis of national aflairs and of the principles advocated by political parties, and when they have sufficient understanding, advocates ad-vocates and promoters ol such parties as their judgment approves; As to these, men may honestly differ and yet be equallv earnest in efforts to prom ite the common welfare. In this country all parties a.ree on most of the principles essential to the maintenance of Republ can government. On minoi noints thev divide. And it is natural to positive persons to magnify the importance impor-tance of their peculiar opinions and to consider questions wit ch may be left open without disaster to the public; ol such moment as to demand immediate and practical solution. This perhaps would woik no great evil, il extreme partisans confined their zeal and eftoits to the advocacy of principles prin-ciples and measures oiv their merits But it is common lor such politicans to' cany the war into Africa," and treat their opponents op-ponents as enemies of mankind, as seeking seek-ing th : d jwnlall of the nation, as promoting, pro-moting, scheming for the destruction of ha -.iiiiitrv and oflen as without Sense. Sums of them go so far as to misiepre-sent misiepre-sent the p sit;on and objects cf an opposing op-posing patiy and to vilify all' who support sup-port it, and decendingeven to scurrility and raking from the gutters of vitupera tion Ihe vilest epithets to hurl against those who differ Irom them. AU this is to be despised as well as de plored. "Mormon" politcians otiglii never to pastern after this sort cl oratois j They are of ihe pot houe order. They J may sometimes raise a laugh but thev cinyno weight with the thoughtful Learners should not waste .time in listen ing lo such would be teachers ol politics." poli-tics." Facts and arguments are wanted rather than ridicule and denunciation. In endeavoring to decide as to which party he shall join, the inquirer need |
