The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-11
Picture Of the Average statesman.

n ACtuIo VA tu0 Average 6tate6mans
In recent article upon Secretary
Sherman, as candidate for President,
The Nation reveals what it calls the ra-
tionale OF his early financial vagaries and
subsequent conduct. Its general value
ig in the meEcilessness with which, in
Mr.. sherman, the average professional
politician of the day is described. The
Nation says:
"Mr. Sherman probably became con-
!yin,ced at very early period OF his polit-
ical career that, in order to be states
man in the existing conditions Of Amer
ican society and politics, q man must stay
In Congress by hook or by crook, aud
that he cannot stay in it by mere sound.
ness of views, breadth of knowledge. or
honesty of intention. He can only stay
in 1t by either holding the views actually
entertained by his constituents, or pro-
pounding views which they are likely to
embrace with eagerness. A man who
means to make politics his career, uu!ess
he comes from small State, where the
competition 10 small and personal weight
is much felt, IL therefore Obliged to prac-
tice from the first the art of seeming TO
think the thought Of the majority with
more than ordinary profundity and to
feel It's passions with more than ordinary
intensity, and of finding out beforehand
what it is likely to think and feel. by
far the larger proportion of those who
practice this art come Auch adopts in
1t that their personality Is wholly tncri-
ficed. They sink into mere advocates.
They cease TO have opinions of their own
On any public question. They carefully
discard all passions or prejudices which
the people ere not likely 10 share, and
keep far from them all knowledge which
the people ara not likely to appreciate or
admire. The result is often in few
years kind of atrophy of the perceptiye
faculty, destruction Of mental or moral
initiative, and of all tastes or interests
which do not bear on the question how
are nominations to be got. Along With
this comes faith in compromise which
sometimes assumes the proportions of a
mania. After long practice in arranging
compromises in party platforms and in
the division of offices the whole universe
assumes the appearance of i.eId for
compromise, and all things, human and
divine. Of materials for compromise. -
Your trained politician would meyer have
accepted the Copernican astronomy in its
entirety, but would have proposed re-
eonciliation of that and the old system,
by which the sun would have boon held
to go round the earth n some years and
the earth round the sun in othor years."
This is true picture of the ordinary
Congressman. It suits the Congressman
who must stay in Congress for the aake
Of the pay, quite as we'll as the Congress.
man who stays there for the love of
power aud to find opportunities of graft
flying ambition. The moment that con.
tinuance in Office is his paramount OBJ
Ject, O public man ceases to be an inde-
pendent representative of the people, and
passes bis time in finding out the way the
wind blows to-day and Is likely to blow
Tomorrow. NO such man can be any,
thing more than tho blind instrument of
the noisiest of his constituents. Instead
OF representing the highest and best
Thought and purpose of his district, he
10 the 5raxen pipe through which the
machine forces the political stream, the
direction and effect depending on those
who hold it.
Fortunately tho p5opio begin 10 under
atand that representative who has no
judgment and opinion OF his own, upon
which and by which he will stand, cost
what it may. il of little value in tho long
run to the great body of his constituents,
who are moro interested in good govern
ment than in the fortunes OF any political
coterle. This is the secret of the strength
of rlcn like Bayard of Delaware, and
Wyatt Aiken of South Carolina. TLese
men are not always right, by any 10 cars.
but they always havo opinions, they are
sincere, they dc their own thinking aud
are not afraid to say what they think.
1t Is better to have man who does some.
times put bis foot into it, when ne opens
his mouth, than man who never moves
or speaks until he is sure that he ia on
the side OF the majority Charleston Ne,os
and Courier.