The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-25
WORK OF STATESMEN.

The American statesman of today, who IS
TO provide supplies 10 carry on the routine
OF our vast administration, and 80 regulate
economies that the supply may be equal TO
the demand: to determine the burden and
the benefit in every detail of tariff or "a tax
as IL affects thousands OF industries: 10 nm
derstand every part Of the complicated mech
anism Of our government; and who goes TO
bod every night wearied and worn out with
labors and anxietios TO which the manager OF
the largest and most complicated private con-
cern is a stranger, has little room in his Ire
for now schemes, new principles or new
thoughts The country owes more than IL
knows to the men OF both parties who nave
of late years, so consciontiously and faithfully
performed the great labor of keeping the ma
chinery OF government in operation.s
This necessity for considering locality in
the selection Of persons for high national
ofces embarrasses the American people at
every step. No man, with rare exception
can have any considerable opportunity Tor
public service, although he may be IN accord
with IN overwhelming majority of his couh-
trymen, unless he also happens TO be IN ac'
cord with the locality in which he dwells'
When Mr.. Webster was secretary Of state Mr.
Choato was the undsputod head Of the Ameri'
can bar, unless Mr. Webster himself were TO
be excepted. II might easily have happened
that, at the same time, the man OF all DINERS
in tho country fitted for secretary OF the
treasury would also have dwolt in Boston; or
tho fttest persons for these three Offices might
have been found living together in New YORK
city yet it would never have done 10 make
Ctoate attorney general, or Abbott Lawrence
secretary Of the treasury, while Webster was
IN the department OF state. | suppose it would
scarcely cause remark if tho three most I'M
portant men in the English cabinet dwelt neat
door to each other i'm London, or had adjoin-
ing estates in the country.
The want Of certainty of the statcsman's
hold upon power Of which have spoken, and
the lack of inherited wealth, deprived us OF
the advantage OF a class of men trained for
craftsmanship from youth. The questions
with which the public man in this country
has TO deal require long and exclusive study
to master them. Such study is impossible If
he have at the same.time to get his own liv-
ing. He must therefore, be man of in
herited wealth, or must be taken from some
other calling, to which he has devoted himself
long enough TO have laid by competency
sufficient for his support, and suitable provis-
ion for his family. So we have rarely here
men like those numerous in England, who
are trained 20 public affairs from their youth.
l do not think that the Englishman likes TO
be battered. He likes better to grumbe and
to have people complain to him about some
body or something. He seldom brags. He
considers the greatness Of England as
sured fact. to be taken for granted and not Ia
be talked about, like the,force of gravtation
or the Importance of the sun TO the solar sys-
TEN. / hope the time .is coming when we
shall feel our greatness among the nations 30
well assured that public men will stop
talking about,it But the people expect
IA good deal of boasting from orators.
Even our chaplans in their prayers inform
the Lord of the greatness of this country and
of the magnhcence and the glory of the
American people.
What is wanted in this country now il the
honest, faithful, industrious and intelligent
management of its business affairs. both in
state and nation. And this the generation
abundantly supplies Senator Hoar in August
Forum