Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-25
THE PRACTICAL POLITICIAN.
He Is Not Always as Bad u Man as HI
Is Often Pictured to Be.

he Is Not Always as Bad u Man as H6
Is Often Pictured to Be.
BY the ordinary citizen of the educated
class the practical politician is thought to
be man who, though sometimes perhaps
having good intentions, is nevertheless led
by selfish motives, in the main, to do sell
fish, corrupt and dishonest deeds. In his
own eyes the practical politician of the
higher grade is a patriotic citizen working
for the good of party upon the success OF
which depends the welfare of the country.
He feels in many cases that he is driven to
acts which to him are unpleasant; which
are perhaps on the whole unfortunate for
the country, but which, under the circum-
stances, are still stern necessity. To be
sure, among the workers" will be found
many who care neither for country nor
party, nor even for leader, though that is
rare; but in the higher ranks the proper
tion of the consciously dishonest, although
possibly larger than that of the same class
among merchants or lawyers, is still small
Most of our officeholders in the higher
legislative and executive positions are at
bottom as honest, hardworking and self
sacrificing as men of other classes. The
Submerged tenth" have dragged the repu-
tations of their fellow politicians lower
than truth would permitus todeclare their
Characters to be. These differences of
opinion with reference to the character of
the practical politician come largely from
lack of knowledge on the part of the public
as to the circumstances in which the poll
tician is placed and as to the pressure that
Is brought to bear upon him as well as
from ignorance of the amount of excellent
self sacrificing work that he really does.
When the people really see things as
they are, know what ought to be done, and
demand that action be taken, the politician
will be ready and prompt to act. The
politician cannot act until he feels that
public opinion is with him; his business
In fact, and in justice, too, in the main, is
not to guide public opinion, but to follow
it. He may help to create and guide pub
lie opinion, but that duty is equally in
cumbent upon lawyers, preachers, teachers
and all good and intelligent citizens. We
need to distinguish in this regard the re-
former, and even the statesman, from the
politician. 1t is the business of the poll
tician, and the business is worthy one to
care for the interests of his party, and
thereby, as it appears to him, for the in
terests of the state. and his party interests
cannot be cared for unless he follows pub
lie opinion. To the politician also "the
public" means not merely the educated or
the good citizens. but all citizens who have
votes. If then we expect the politician to
change his methods of action, we must in
some way bring it about that by the change
more votes will be gained to the party in
power than will be lost.
A politician knows very well that he does
many things that are condemned by the
most enlightened consciences; he does
many things that are to himself disagreed
bic and that trouble even his well trained
conscience; hut, as has been said, to him
these acts are necessary, and ne does them
as other good people do necessary but un-
pleasant tasks. When he can be made to
see that it will be better, not for himself
personally, but for the success of the party
which, let me repeat, to him means the
good of the country-to change the meth
DDS of conducting elections, nobody will be
more ready to change than he. Indeed, as
vote buying is in reality very unpleasant
business for many of our most influential
politicians-so much so that many of them,
while directing it, will never themselves
take any part in it-no one will work more
actively to make this practice unnecessary
than they will, if it Gamble clearly shown
that change to a better system of carry
ing elections is acticable.-Professor j.
W. jerks in Century.