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A Change Much Needed

A Change Much Needed image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
December
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We troqueo tly heur the reniark, " I don't vote. I don't boiher about poütics." Ii explaaatioo ihu utterers will try to excuse iheir ful.se position, either 011 tli tí g: ouiid tliat they are disguste! . wiih ttie uiatiuer iu wluob tlie eleuiious are coudueled, or that they canuot af-: ford thu time frum tbeir busmesa ueoo.ssai')1 to períoruj oae oí tlie most sacred duties of citizeuship Yet, while tlu-sa mt-ii tbu.s ucgivct tbeir importaut obligatioua, tboy ure most uneparing a tli-ir douuuciatious of tbc assaniod eorruptioo of the p tiitical uomiuoes aud otlice-holdtra. Tbey say, aud wiih trutli, that maiiy of the chief uffiuers, judicial aud political, are now ülk-d itud euntrolU-d Dy metí vvbo disgraca thu positions tbey 'hiíld, and for wtuch they are botb iutelleotually and mrally uuwortby Tbuy lauicut i he feaiful ainouut of crime aud tbe geut-ral ucial djmorahziition cohsoquont upou it, aud at the same time, illogioaíly lay the blatna on our fonn of governiueut as the cause of all tbe tr uble. Il is the solemn duly cif evêry citizcn to tuke bil part iu t.iio goverumcnt of tbe co.D'ry as marked out liy the United otaU'8 Coustituti.u If inSuential ciiizeua sliriuk from the ballot box und trntn ttie priuiary duties conuected with iiuiuiutioij8, aud Icuve the work .o be doDtt by the uun'orthy, is it to be wonilered at f the latter use the power for tbeir own spcuial beuutit ? 'i he nOioi uaiiug coufeu:i"iis are almosl universully nejflootud by the la-abidiug ciiizena, und the [irnUssionul wnrd polincians and repenturs, and all the luzy luufcrs around the wards, as a geieral tbing, uoiniu.ite iheir frioöds to every muuicipal oflice ithiu the gilt of the people. W lint tuse bul ii at 10 ti i t denioralization mm bft expectcd il this cuurss (o purmed ? lio are republicin institutious tu be upheld if tlic trans cdO'.s ot' naliunal busiucts be le 1 l to ibe iiretpootii blo and cormp ? Aii'i a cltM caá n ijO oüier wny tu put tj gi;ch a rerrogrudiug c.iuse, tlian iv every voler making it hi duty i o', o ly lo vote, but to i-ee ihat the Ouiidttted are til tod tor the ónices tlicy aspiro to. Everjbndy kuow8 tbaí corruption abounds throughOUt the land 1' ruin the halls of Coagres doAD to the iteuncst municipal offict; it prevail, aud will ouuiiuuo to prevail aud uoreuse ilaily in magniluiie, uniess lbose whtjee biiMuess it is to eea to it, do thiúr duty. It entiiely rests with tbe cituuis themtelvcs, wbether our pohtioal decadeuce shall go on, or wbethor wo resume U.e positiun we ooco enj yed. It was corruption which sapped the i'ouadatimi oi the oíd rfpublicN, aud brought on tbeir uuwofall, aud nuch will ansureilly bet our late uulesa more public spirit be iefused ioto our citizeos. The iudifferenoe to politics ehown by our educated men greatly etruok Mr. Hughes durÍDg bis short vigit arnoug ui, aud be eotiipared it with tbe practice ia bis own oouuUy, wbt-re the enligbtened olftis alway kopt up en aciive interest iu politica! affairs. And so tbey shuuld. Aod so sbould every man ia tfew country, youug aad o!d, if our beoenoent republican form oi goverumeut is to be maiutained, and tbe glorious heritage purebased by the blood o( the fuundera of tbe republio is to be truncmitted to our dtiscendauts intact. It is eaid thut AJoutreal bauk b $3,000 deposit niado bv Wükis E

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus