Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-12-01


PoIitics as career IS cohT'ouIou W '"'
Forum Tor Deesiuoer py ex-senator george
T. Edmunds. IL enys
To think o: polilic, as q career leads in
stautly 80 .hs insuiry, what is politics in
which sra tor whiun the chief occupation
OF citi,r., 10 10 TO carried on? \ precise
dennittos iuc,us,ys and exclusive, would
he too ieng so- th;a paper, oven IL 1t were
possihi, 10 state one that should not be
ius:ly opsn 20 criticism. For tho present
purpose the detuition may % briefly stated
thus: ana science % governing, nn0 the art
VI Apply ing tho principles o: thaJ scinnce to
The proiuoiicc .: the eqlul security, safety,
liberty Made. ecu., lew an,i the prosperity
o. tos p7hoio body OF tho people OF n com.
luouvta.!h. The nn.ionSi govecnmsu5 and
he ). Etatas present IL vast and varied
hs. tor the sud- AID practices q politics
rs a career; that Is, provided tas field can
10. e.:isrcd and lelt and its tg.uuphs and
reward. can Ls cLunted Upon with sufficient
certainty TO furnish & rat!cua! aud adequate
mot.vs tur devotinR ores self to such
career IN tas anlue way Is that OF farming,
trade manufacture, art, architecture, law
nleiio.ne, etc, are respectively taken up
=. Inc tu mess o. life according to the in
cidat!ous ans OPPORTUNITIES Of different
heh'
this stibstnnt.ui chura3ter and probable eff
teot Of iGws oC.li 10 bs rnlv1rsn! IN our
rouLtry, NLGIs every tiH1r Is IN reality
Ia NluIEev anu where every r'.zsn has
Girec, and responsible pert ia the cloic. Of
tpore yho odEanister the Jaw. Il this be
true, it i. certain taoy no on ought 10 be
voter, and ,uuch less Il principal executive
officer, who is not IL subs anti-l dagree
po.sre7ai of ucn lnswislcy. Other 'hngs
pe;ug euuh., t!o~- sac ce! hes, il al pei
trual pursuit, WIG leat undorstand the end
tn g.. d4s-Ie - attain ana tuo beat means FOR
It's accomplishments This is equally true OF
government, ard "a" more important, for
Tie success cr fc.iure OF single nam IN his
lie wor.- il Gn. drop IN tho great stream
O. Llama. affair; iut success CT failure il
governments c;fec,a millions a once, and
may promote or IetarG the COOL progress ut
nation fer IA century. Al these are self
evident truths bat like those s,nied in thai
greatest document o. modern times, our
Locara ticu IL irjrrcn4euce, their actual
application to affairs IS very Far from beils
rom0leto or even general, though 1t Is
g,ad thing TO known shat on tie whole we
uraw nearor and dearer TO them il our
soc al pnd political progress.
Every one, therefore, ought 10 bo . poll
hcan in the best OF the term; but to
be a oli,ican IN this sence is not tho mare
Thing o! entering upon politics as a career
and ca ing Of life. Every man who has
political career may lie politician, though
many are not; but many men " no are poiti-
rians cannot have any political career at
vi. There is no room for ali, but only for
Inc very smallest fraction CT the great mass.
Which among many viii 10 the fortunate
or unfortunate ones to be chosen legislators
or executive officers 10 perhaps the most
uncertain uf bun,an uncertainties. The
careers of private life can in general be
chosen and entered upon at will, and usual
II they look chiefly and rightly to the PEI:
,onal advantage and prosperity OF the man
himself and his family; but the true and
honest follower OF political career must
lock, not TO personal gains and benefit but
10 the gener. good of the vast brotherhood
of men. His rewards such as they arc
end they are sometimes great and noble
should come, not as the sought for anG de-
manded price for service, but as the crate
fully bestowed offerings of a benefited peo-
pie He who is actua;ed by other motives
III his political life is likely either to develop