Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-05-11

Is an Essential in the Makeup Of .
Successful Politician.

We ItiuthtiJ hNui 10 otlN VI cOihN
citizen eminent for integrity and
common sense: "What a pity he does
not go into politicsl We are willing
to trust his judgment in all private
matters. We need him in public
life.' The fact that such men arc
by a process Of natural selection told
of for the conduct Of private trusts
and sometimes excluded from public
life is cited as a reproach to democrat
ic government, on the ground that it
ignores a certain class Of valuable and
trustworthy men.
The truth is that these men lack a
certain element necessary toemihence
in democratic community, which we
have ventured to designate as the
"folk-quality." They have patriot
ism, energy and ability, but they lack
a certain love for the rough and tum-
bic of a primary election, they lack
the adaptability to the conditions
which make politics attractive to
some men. This love and this
adaptability may co-exist with hon
esty and integrity. Possibly they
partake more of manliness than of
delicacy and refinement, but in that
case delicacy refinement super
fetal. They are entirely compatible
with the innate uprightness and re-
finement that President Lincoln pos
sessed. The same might be said of
William II. Seward. To both of
these men politics was the breath of
their nostrils. We hear a great deal
nowadays Of folklore and folk-poe-
try, by which is meant something
which grows among the people and
as it is their own product is marked
by qualities which suit them A
writer like James Whitcomb Riley or
Eugene Field, whose work is tinged
with this quality, is sure of success.
"What he says goes" If a man pos
sesses a feeling Of being at home
among the people simply because they
are his people, he loves politics
irrespective of his moral nature
or his education. 1t brings
him to the front After he gets
there his political economy and
his high ideal Of public duty will help
him wonderfully. But they will not
do him the least good unless he has
some share of the universal sympathy
which lying unconsciously in his
heart makes him willing to put up
with the ridiculous and the disagree
able.
1t is absurd to say that a man must
force himself to be familiar with what
he despises, that he must lay on one
side his honor and sense of shame
before he can hope to succeed in poll
tics. If that were true we should
indeed be in sorry case. We carry
too many examples to the contrary.
He must possess the folk-quality in
order to make a start and in order to
get on. Perhaps this is only giving
a name to something that is in
defnable or the term stands for con-
glomerate of all the qualities that
lead to political success in America.
Undoubtedly our American sys-
tenn does tend to eliminate some men
who, if born in England, might have
proved valuable in public situations.
But in all countries some men rise in
public life who ought to have been
kept out and some men are kept down
in defiance of public interest. Glad
stone would have risen had he been
born in New England. Webster
would have been as great in England
as he was here, probably have rsien
higher. 1t is doubtful if Lord Sails
bury could have become secretary of
state if he had been an American citi-
zen. The point insisted on is that
the one absolutely necessary quality
for political advancement is not a
narrow, unprincipled nature. 1t is
the ability to take hold with hearty,
natural interest in the work. Some
times an able, ambitious man forces
himself forward by will power, but
he feels out of place and is usually
relegated to the ranks before long.
Sometimes a wealthy man buys his
promotion. That we shall have to
stop. The man who is really fitted
to get on in politics gets on. We shall
never believe that that fitness con-
sists in qualities of which he should |
prefer to be destitute. Hartford |
COurant