262 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND ALLIANCE. 



proper mode of governing a state, so as to secure its pros- 

 perity, peace and safety, and to attain, as perfectly as 

 possible, the ends of civil society. Among the subjects 

 which political science embraces, are the principles on 

 which government is founded, the hands in which the 

 supreme power may be most advantageously placed, 

 the duties and obligations of the governing and the 

 governed portions of society, the development and 

 increase of the resources of the state, the protection of the 

 rights and liberties of the citizens, the preservation of the 

 morals, and the defense of the independence of the state 

 against foreign control or conquest. While the philosophy 

 of governing constitutes the science of politics, the art of 

 politics consists in the application of that science to the 

 individual circumstances of particular states. ' ' 



Now, if we are to prohibit the discussion of politics, 

 we prohibit the discussion of any and all of the subjects 

 embraced in the above definition. That it would be best 

 to exclude all these matters from consideration and action 

 none will be so bold as to claim. The impression is too 

 widely prevalent that politics consists in one man getting 

 up and calling another a liar or thief. That the manner 

 of conducting campaigns have furnished good grounds for 

 this belief can not be denied. It would seem from the 

 real definition of the words as given by Mr. Chambers, 

 that the Wheel, Alliance, and other labor organizations, 

 are the only genuine political organizations in the country. 

 The modern definition of politics as interpreted by the acts 

 of the existing parties ought to read : ' ' The art of getting 

 there if you can." If the existing labor organizations 

 could, through their influence, induce the two political par- 

 ties to "go into politics" right, the necessity of said labor 

 organizations would soon cease to exist. The Union is, 

 and should always remain non-partisan in its character. 

 The reasons for this is obvious to every intelligent reader. 



