The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-04
THE GOVERNING THREE PER CENT

The best lalQ plans OIL men So dS
saft aglee" in politics and govern
ments as In individual affairs. The
beautiful theory encounters conditions
in practice that make results far other
than those expected. Instances Of this
abound in the development in opera
ton Of the theories of the trainers of
the constitution. The presidential
elector, instead Of being the wise, sa-
judiciously surveying the national
field and choosing the man for presi-
dent whose character and abilities
make him the fittest for that Office
is mere automaton to register the de-
crees of a plurality of the voters con
firming the choice of their delegates
made after a consideration of almost
everything except fitness. So with the
theory that the people are the self
governing governors, each individual
a sovereign, jealous In the discharge
of his duties as a citizen and jealous
Of his prerogatives.
ly Indifferent to fine theories, is that
so far from being a self-governing
people we are governed by a very
small fraction of the voters and they.
usually of the class least fitted to
rule. To be sure there is a preserya-
ton Of the shadow of the theory in
the Formally Of the making up of the
ballot of the elector at the polls. but
for whom or for what he shall vote
is prearranged for him by an insight
ficant number of his fellow citizens.
1t does not necessarily follow that Re-
publican institutions have broken down
because this condition has deyeloped
in the practical operation of the uni
versal suffrage, but 1t does demon
strate very conclusively that there is
law of development in governments
quite as immutable as that under
(which the race itself has been
evolved.
No one has studied the practical
working of our plan of government
either as an observer or a worker y
but will conce0e that the whole di-
rection Of all public affairs is con-
trolled by no more than three out of
every hundred voters. This is due
primarily, to the fact that politics.
which has come to be almost entirely
a matter of office getting and holding.
attracts very few men. The Office no
longer seeks the man, but is caught
by the man who most determinedIv
ana shreWdly pursues it. For this.
men have aptitudes as they have for
any vocation. 1t requires as special
faculties as do painting, poetry or sue
cessful merchandising. There must he
tact, skill in manipulation, alert judg-
ment, keen scent for what is popular
and what not, combined with plianev
of conscience that admits of a care
iessness in the matter of princsnles
and conviction, of means to ends
There must be the commercial sense
that looks on place as an investment
into which one can put his money as
another puts his into real estate or
stocks
These faculties are possessed by not
more than three men out of each hun
dred voters. They form our governing
Three Per Cents. In the precinct they
are the ones who attend religiousiy
the primaries and are very often the
only ones there. IN the city or county
they are the Eaen who meet, consult,
plan. pick out the delegates. select
candidates. AS we rise in the scale
Of relative Importance of the offices
tl.e proportional number decreases,
but it is still tie mere handful who
quite AMI coatro:. Usually aE.ons