, 1874-04-13
THE DECLINE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP,

our political lifo is tho contempt-wo do not feel
justified to use mildor expresson-in which
statesmnnship Ia hold by too many Of our Soma
tors and Representatives in Congress. Anori-
can statcsmsnship will soon be. wo worry
much fear, one Of the lost arts.
Political empiricBm and charlataniBm aro
fast usurping its place. The scienco
Of politics IL not loft uncultiyated in America;
but the mon who foster it and posso.a it aro
rarely aent to Congress, raroly care to go there;
and when by some strange freak OF fortune they
lind themselves in the Senate or tho House, thoy
feel like fish out Of water, and arc suro to disqua-
lily themselves for PREDICTION. Where now are
our Jeircrsons, FranllinH, Webstors, sumncrs2
They aro, indeed, few. by d sttange law Of evo-
luton, our statesmon havo bloasomcd into
Flanagans and LoganB. In tho struggle for OK
istenco, tho Jefrorsona and Cays hayo goue to
tho wall; and we have one moro instance of the
"survival Of tho Attcnt " in tho inspired linan-
oiers in the Senate and tic House. "O!d Tatum"
is tho highest typo Of tho class to which tho
Ferrys, Flanagans, aud Logans belong. Wo
Congress. What tnancler ho would have boon!
"OldTatum" was practical man, and Ind only a
smile Of contempt for the theorists, doctriuarics
aud visonarica who believed what they read in
books aud who said that tho suu did not move
but TINT tho Garth rovolved about it. "Old Ia.
tum was m inspired astronomer. Forry Flana-
gan and Logan are inspired 1nanciers.
What caro- they for the sayings Of tho Ga1ileos
and Newtons Of 1lnanco2 Calico and Nowton
wrote bookH, for which crime they are to 10
prevented from testifying On astronomy. schurz
aud Sherman have studied books. beware of
tho men who read! Hcarllen not to thom,
Listen only to tho practical mon, to tho men
who despso theories, to the mon who hayo no
theory, not even q theory against theores
They alone deserve hearing, for they came
into the world already versod in tho science Of
government, in tile intricacies Of finance, and
the mysteries Of trade. With their mothers
milk they sucked in all science, political, social,
economic. Hence thoy know intuitively how
to govern great nation. They know
all about tho limits of government; what it
should undertake, and what it should not the
pro1imate and remote etroct Of every Legislative
measure on trado, national credit, and NATIONAL
wealth!-know it certainly, infullibly-by expert
ence by their own experience!
Out On tho great oceans Of Legislation and
finance they venture without map, without q
compass, as If no ono had Travelled It bofore.
1,au 1anr ,a1 f1,a re
puddle or ducl1-pond learned it by their own
experience and what is tho ocean but q pond Of
higher degree? Financial maps, compasses,
logarithmB, principles, What caro- they for such
bosh? The national finances, tho intricacies OF
the currency question, arc only questions about
a number Of 10-cont pieces and what is to DO
done with them and do they not know all about
a 10-cent piece
There WAS g. timo when men in Con-
gress inquired the effect Of tho noas-
urea advocared by thom on morals, CON-
morce. and national wealth. There are some, wo
are happy to say, who ask these quoHtions still,
aud sow. at least-a diminiahng number
who arc competent to answer them. But thoy
arc old fogles. The more pertinent question
now is: What will bo tho effect On the next cleo
tiou.-on tho party? The country first and party
afterwards was the motto OF our statesmen till
"0ld Tatum" began hisreigu. Now, party, self,
friends first, the country last. And the mon who
thus subordinate tue country to their own ill.,
torest arc the men who seem disposed to make it
an indictable offonse for q Congressman to road
If VIC could imagine really great people decay
ing, we think their downfall would begin to chow
taelf iu the sneers Of their Legislators at culture,
education, theory, training.