Richland beacon., 1881-04-02
Trained Men.

A few men control the great COM
mcrcial forces and direct industrial
movements TO their larger results. A
few men create the literature of nation
or ali age \ few men furnish the i'm.
pulse. mould the taste and accomplish
the work of art. 4 few men lead the re-
lglous and moral thought of the time.
Not that the few are not in turn ill.,
fucnced bv circumstance or that the
leaders and representatives. are not i'll a
sense the outgrowth OF their time: but it
i still true that the few stand in the
front. So far as the mass of the people
are concerned il sometimes seems that
the useful activity of the people begins
and ends with getting the right men in
front. Preachers are not taken at hap
hazard from the pillow or the cart and.
without any instruction in theology or
the art OF speech, set mp To CXpound
divinity to people who know ut least
something about it, Such men are not
expected 70 move congregations with
argument and persuasion when they arr
equipped with neither. Ii we want
portraits painted we do not - through
the farce q: sitting to n man who never
handled a brush or mixed colors. We do
not take the raw Youth who comes from
the country To go in a store" and put
HIM mt the heat of a great importing
house or elect him president Of IA bank.
In none of these cases do We regard it as
any rcproach Ia ourselves that trained
men are set above lis and before us in
this way. The fact that Longfrilow and
Iennyson write poems Is not at all
GcroSatOry To the many millions who
only read them. So far is the reverse OF
this true that the people who are able 10
put the greatest number of trained men
NJ the front and to keep them there are
admitted 10 he the most intelligent and
successful people. This is measure of
popular character and education. a test
Of popular achievement There is only
one case III which We reverse the rul =
When We come to politics we seem t.
turn deaf ears to the suggestions OF cA-
pericncc and common SENSE. 1T would
he very hard to prove that as much Of
special aptitude and careful training is
not needed To- transact the business Of
nation as of an Insurance company; that
deficiency i'll ills respect is not as fatal
to man who manages the affairs of tho
State or the Union rs TO one who steers
a ferryhoat or supcrvises the ''cash boys"
IN variety shop. Why do we disregard
this plain truth i'll politics? The phenome.
non can he accounted for only Nv the
prevalence of false notion that If We
put trained men forward We shall in
SOME mysterious WAY establish an
''ari-tocracy" and overthrow our political
institutions. According 10 a wide notion
the democratic theory demands the con.
slant practical assertion Of the principle
that all men are as good as any man for
any sort of work whatever. The strength
of our POLITICAL system consists in the
guaranty to the people of the right to
choose their best men .as their leaders.
The perpetuity of the system depends
upon tine intelligent exercise of this
popular right. We succeed in every
thing else 10y putting forward our trained
men. We shall succeed in politics ac-
cor,lingly rs We do this. Illustrations
multiply Of practice which, far from
vindicating the democratic principle,
ccntradicts it. and in time will degrade
The people. -Ntr York Post.