St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-27
PURELY POLITICAL.

PURELY POLITICAL.
If F. f. DAVIS keeps the blood from
rushing to his head and lets reason pre-
dominate, there is no reason why he
should not be from now ON prominent
factor in Republican state politics. The
opposition of Gen. WAsHBURN, or any
other type of what is unpopular in Re-
publ1caniSm, can not crowd Mr.. DAVIS
down if he keeps his good sense on top.
He has voice that Senator DAVIS
might envy and manner before an
audience that takes. There is frank
ness in the way he speaks that COM
mands attention. His rhetorical
fouriShes he will drop when his ex-
perience in public life has been longer.
Good English is rarely buried under a
weight of adjectives. They say that
Mr.. DAVIS is conceited, but he may be
pardOned that, since the shining ex-
amples of egoiSm are to be found
among the gray-heads. He has entered
state politics at time oppOrtune for
his abilities, if he keeps cool.
~
Any attempt to analyZe the character
of JOEL HEATwOLE would be useless,
If his predominating good nature were
left out. Cuffs and sneerS have been his
lot for some time, but his good humor
did not forsake him, and he won his
cause without much perspiration. A
g00G-natured fat man never fails to
have friends and strong ones, too. He
may lack me other traits that go to
make man leader, but his cheeriness
and uniform courtesy will go long way
to cOncealing these defects. HEATWOLE
has deserved better treatment from the
Republicans than he has got. His work
IN the campaign of 1856 was not inSignifi-
cant or worthless. He has ambitions
some that he will never attain-but if
he wishes to play the part of WARWICK,
let him. 1t is game fascinating in the
extreme, and not in the average case
dangerous,
~
Another case in view in some respects
similar to that of HEATwoLE is that of
2. j. SMALLEY. SMALLEY has dared
to have the courage of expressing his
own opinions, with the result that the
epithet ''crank' has stuck to him for
years. He isn't crank. His editorial
page is one of the spiciest in the state.
He has preached tariff reform in the
presence of deaf ears and tongues that
slandered. Where his reward will come
in is hard to say. Probably not in this
world, and if BLAINE is to be believed
tariff refOrmerS won't have a show in
heaven either. Anyway SMALLEY de-
serves recognition. A man who fights
uphill has always got good stuff in him.
He has one satisfaction in knowing that
the fellows who cavil and sheer at him
own less of their own souls than he does
of his.
If you never have met country ed
itor, it is queer sometimes what opinion
you will form of his appearance from
reading his editorial columns. Inever
had met Editor GLASS, of Carver, until
last week, but from reading his journal
imagined him to be spare, lean gen
tleman, addicted to dyspepsia. Imagine
my surprise, then, when a chubby, Jolly
faced young man shook hands with me
and said his name was GLASS. Mentally
l took back all that l had imagined,
When HUNT, of Mankato, and JOHN c.
WISE fall to and editOrially belabor
each other, if you didn't know them you
would conceive two fire-eaterS in mortal
combat instead of youthful, sprightly
genius, as HUNT is, and a good-humored,
dignified gentleman of MI. WIsE's
character. Most of these fiery, untamed
country editors ION paper turn out to be
in the flesh men of family, home, means;
sedate, courteous knights of the quill,
not thirsting for gore.
~
The man who has the common sense
to take one dip in the pool of politics,
then to come out and stay out, COM
mands a popular respect beyond meas
urement. 1t is those fellows who are
forever in the swim that become dis
gusting-mere hacks, for whom no one
~
spirit of politics SO thoroughly worked
into their own natures that they trade
and dicker and betray you until death
relieves the world of their evil presence.
L have in mind a notable exception
to this rule in the person of
HENRY PoEHLER, of Henderson.
He held seat in congress for
one term, after winning a glorious
victory. He took turn in state politics
and then dropped out, settling down into
a contented business life. He has been
honored none the less for doing so, and
l observe that he is happy, richly en-
dowed with good fat and muscle, and
bids fair to live a long and merry life.
He had enough of politics. He knew
when to stop. His horse sense got the
better of foolish ambitions. Blessed are
they who do likewise.
x*
The perpetual politician is pitiable
spectacle. He is subject to nervous
strains, defeats, rancOrs, resembling
closely the feveriSh existence of gam
bier. He wins and fortune smiles. He
loses, and the crowd, which is always
merciless, jeers. Bye and bye his
friends drop off. his coat becomes shiny,
his business goes to the dogs, and he be-
comes shadow of low resorts-a prac-
titioner of the worst devices in politics.
Every state in the Union is filled with
such wrecks. The spirit of politics,
when it once seiZes a man so that prin-
ciples become secondary to personal
considerations, makes of him in the end
a moral and physical wreck. 1t is we'll
to pause when you place your foot on
the entrance to the political arena and
ask of yourself, ''Am l entering for a
principle or for myself?" Your answer
will decide your fate.
THE POLITICIAN.