Opening Ceremonies of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, May 24, 1883Kingsley, William C.
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Opening Ceremonies of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, May 24, 1883
Kingsley, William C.
Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
Now if our political system were guided by organized intelligence, it
would not seek to repress the free play of human interests and
emotions, of human hopes and fears, but would make provision for their
development and exercise, in accordance with the higher law of
liberty and morality. A large portion of our vices and crimes are
created either by law, or its maladministration. These laws exist
because organized ignorance, like a highwayman with a club, is
permitted to stand in the way of wise legislation and honest
administration, and to demand satisfaction from the spoils of office,
and the profits of contracts. Of this state of affairs we complain,
and on great occasions the community arises in its wrath, and visits
summary punishment on the offenders of the hour, and then relapses
into chronic grumbling until grievances sufficiently accumulate to
stir it again to action.
What is the remedy for this state of affairs? Shall there be no more
political parties, and shall we shatter the political machinery which,
bad as it is, is far better than no machinery at all? Shall we embrace
nihilism as our creed, because we have practical communism forced upon
us as the consequence of jobbery, and the imposition of unjust taxes?
No, let us rather learn the lesson of the Bridge. Instead of
attempting to restrict suffrage, let us try to educate the voters;
instead of disbanding parties, let each citizen within the party
always vote, but never for a man who is unfit to hold office. Thus
parties, as well as voters, will be organized on the basis of
intelligence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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