The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-08
EDUCATED MEM VS.. REPRESENTA-
TIVE MEM

" some OF the doubts and anxieties which
may force themselves upon thoueehLiul mih0
in view of the present important CRISIS OF our
countrv's history. and lifts voice of warning
in relation to certain dangers winch may be-
set us. Among these dangers are enumerated
fbe o;dd;ness which comes from the intoxica-
t;on ~ success, the peril which may crow ont
of the immense power of monied corporations,
out of the recently promulgated tenets Of the
Church of Rome, out Of the possibility that
with our strong tendency toextremes the we'll
founded dread of the theory of State Sover=
eighty may carry us into the opposite error'of
naturalization, and, last but not least, the
writer names the dangers growing out OF what
he calls @our miserable mediocrity worship"
our habit of choosing commonplace men fsI
our rulers and representatives, a habit of which
he says: aiaE s To-
ct deprives the country of the services of
MANY of its valuable citizens. 1t renders whole |
classes of educated and able men lukewarm in
their patriotism, so that some terrible crisis is
needed to awaken their latent devotion. 1t
gives our enemies abroad real argument
against our institutions, which our friends
aDrOau cttilHOb SalIlSay.
AS this little extract seems to touch the key
note Of much that has been lately said in
variety of quarters, we propose to give the
matter a few moments examination. We are
sof theopinion that there is "a good deal Of
misconception on this point. In the fact that
various constituencies sometimes fail to return
to Office men of the highest ability, we are
quite unable tosee anything alarming. Il AS we
view the theory of onr government, the object
is not merely to put able men into Office that
hat they in their, wisdom may govern the
masses, but to represent the sentiment of the
masses wliowish to govern themselves. If a.
representative form of government is really
founded on sound principles, its advantages
must best be secured by making it as complete
~ representative as possible What though it
does sometimes follow that inferior men are
lifted to responsible positions, that does not
really initiate against the system. The fact
chat constituency of New York roughs re-
turns Fernando Wood to Congress, is not the
point Of danger; the existence Of the con-
,tituency which is perilous. So long as that
lsbased element exists, it is far less source
of peril whitman without its adequate repre-
ientation. The presence of such man in
the national councils, is "a perpetual beacon,
warning US Of the dangerous rocks and whirl-
pools which lie hidden in the bosom of So /.
Getty } Is ~ N ri
We take it for granted that no. one will be
% stupid assto attribute to us theid that the
character of our legislators is of no conse-
Iuence. hItis Of immense consequence. But
Under our theory of government, the first
point to be secured is that they shall have a
raly representative character and then if the
result is unsatisfactory we know where to a =
ply the corrective. If reform be needed we
must begin at the foundation, and work up;
% attempt to reverse the process by working
rom the head down can only result in failure
&c The Boston Adeersisers commenting upon
the recent return of Mr.. Gladstone for the
southern division of Lancashire, after his rejeea
ion by the University Of Oxford, says:
"In spite of our representative system, one
which we are apt to pune ourselves over1nuch,
It must be confessed that what our English
cousins have done in this case could hardly
ave been accomplished here by any thing
hort Of a miracle. II. Mr.. Gladstone had rep
resented for eighteen years an American con-
stituency audit had fallen behind him, he would
nave hardly any means of escape from polit-
ieal retirement Injurious both to him and to
the country, except by taking his chance of Sc
curing some executive appointment, il the ma
iOnal administration were friendly to him. ai
Whatever advantages our system offers in
other respects,-and they are not few nor
small, st certainly does fall behind the Eng
fish system in respect to provision for making
available for public service the best talent OF
the country. The English refusal to make
residence in what we should call the district
necessary qualification, opens the whole field,
Doth for men who are able and ambitious to
Jerve the public, and for constituencies which
are anxious to secure the best attainable rep
resentatives. 1t saves the country from the
modification OF seeing men of great powers
necessarily kept Idle in one place, while mere
msdiocrity, favored by the luck of geographic
cal position, occupies public places elsewhere.
e We'will do the AdUatiser the justice to say
that we do not often find lin its columns SO
much nonsense as appears in this paragraph.
We had not supposed that the object of Con-
gessional elections was merely to afford to able
men, ambitious to serve their country"
ield for the exercise of theirability. We sub
nit that if the supposed case were real, if Mr.
Gladstone had for eighteen years represented
IN American constituency and it had so far
fallen behind him. then he is no longer its fitting
representative, and he should accept the fact
without whimpering. 1t may be all the worse
or the constituency that it could not keep up to
hat desirable standard, but SO far as the mem-
per isconcerned, he is no longer the fright man
IN the right place" and should seek another
ield for The exercise of his abilities There is
lomething puerile in the complaints we hear
that our "mediocrity worship" keeps educat-
I'd men out Of public life. 1t savors of that
deep devotion to post offisses and sech," which
makes Petroleum V. Nasty so eloquent, and
comes mainly. from soured and disappointed
men who have failed in selfish and ambitious
ands. Tits not true that the higher orders Of
intelligence are excluded from influence and
office in this country. They have their full
hare, as any one can convince himself by ex-
aiming the lists of public officers. And for
The rest, II they cannot find educated constitu-
encies which will prefer them, let them set
~ 'f0reSfeA-A5 PAO PuDAfS AhAtAu up W UAlS4i
standard. Real superiority always make it I
self felt in one way Il mot in another. If they
cannot be the governing class they may be the
influential and controlling class. For we re-
peat that in the sphere of government they
must and ought to share the honor, the privi-
eye and the dnty with thoses below them.---
We're q nation composed wholly of highly
edncated men unquestionably it would be bet
ter that its government should be wholly ad-
ministered by such. But the most gifted and
highly educated men are mortal and fallib-e,
and not above the temptation selfshly to leg-
islate for the benefit of their own class. 1t is
well for the State to have the benefit of their
wisdom; but it is not well that the sentiments,
The interest, the possibly erroneous opinions
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