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The Politician And The Pharisee

The Politician And The Pharisee image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
May
Year
1891
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In the good old-fashioned time of simple í'aith and open belief, when any political party assutned power in the government, whether city, State, or nation, it assumed full responsibility. That which was good in its administradon of the govenmient went to its credit ; that which was bad went to its discredit. The people did not ask, after they had given it full power, whetlier it would choose faithful and friendly agents to serve under it. They took it for granted that in human wisdom it would follow the lesson of human experience that a friend is safer than an enemy, The plain people of that period had never read in the Bible, nor in human history, that an enemy is more dependable or more serviceable, either in public or private life, than a friend. The Pharisee came to reserve all this. He came to teach that partyism, or love of party, or activity in politics was a peril to the republic ; that the political caucas in the township, otherwise the town meeting, was a menace to the republic; and that activity in politics made a man dangerous to the government. For my own part I believe in the oíd theory. I believe in the politician - otherwise in the American who takes an active personal int in public affairs, beginning witb the smallest office and continning througb to tlic largest - rathei than in the Pharisee, who would introduce into the rerine that private or individual interest in government is wrong, tbat officeholding does not concern the ;'l that life-tenure in office is both wisc and necessary. i bel ! tod A.merican einzen is good word, alth the Pharisee would make it an epithet. ■■■ ! wiiuld rcnew the ciistom of th fathers, aud teach in i even before the caucus is reached, and again in the caucus, and again in the local convention, and again in every convention aud election, until the top is reached, that every boy and every citizen should take an interest in the proceedings at every step, and that every family in the land should bc informeel in regard to ii as well. It is m the hearthstones of this country that all great political questions are flnally

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier